ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to adopt another variant of the “outside in” approach. It examines a few of some rather well-known outsiders, those who considered themselves or were considered by others to be “intellectuals,” but whose connection to higher education was minimal. Alfred Kazin’s academic ideal has blended intellectual creativity and respect for traditional learning. This combination he sees at its best in a setting that keeps teachers and students at a mutually respectful distance. The critics were gentler with their alma mater than with higher education at large. They tended to grow more sympathetic with academic patterns as they grew older, in part because those patterns were changing in ways they approved, such as freer choice of courses for students and protection of free expression. The academic is a professional and a specialist; the independent intellectual boldly crosses disciplinary lines, hopes to reach a general audience, and writes with an eye to immediate social relevance.
