20世纪美国最后的公共知识分子:社会学家米尔斯

The Last Public Intellectual in the 20th Century America:Sociologist C.W.Mills

20世纪中期是美国知识界的一个转折时期。美国社会的空前繁荣使得知识分子本身的激进理想幻灭,转而认同美国资本主义制度的优越性。同时,高等教育的发展大大增加了对师资的需求,美国体制内的决策者也向知识分子抛出了橄榄枝。推力和拉力的双重作用使得传统意义上的公共知识分子逐渐消逝。美国激进社会学家C.赖特.米尔斯在这种背景下进入大学,成为一名并不独立的大学教师。但是,米尔斯并不认同这种生活方式,从理论上和实践上履行着一名独立公共知识分子的使命。米尔斯是美国最后一代公共知识分子的代表。

The middle 20th century is a turning point of American academic life.The unprecedented prosperity of American society made intellectuals lose their radical ideal and approve the superiorities of American capitalist system.Meanwhile,the development of higher education demanded more and more teachers,and the decision-makers of American institutions accepted intellectuals as their member.Traditional public intellectuals disappeared gradually as a result of these double functions of thrusting and pulling.Under this background,radical sociologist C.Wright Mills entered into university and became a teacher.However,Mills didn＇t identify with this kind of life,and fulfilled his mission as an independent public intellectual both in theory and in practice.To sum up,Mills is the representative of the last generation of public intellectuals.