Why people recommend it
The Closing of the American Mind by Allan Bloom is a critique of modern higher education and contemporary intellectual culture, arguing that moral relativism has impoverished the minds of university students. On The Joe Rogan Experience, David Mamet referenced the book while discussing the contemporary cultural landscape and a perceived decline in young people's valuation of classical wisdom. Similarly, on The Rubin Report, Janice Fiamengo brought up Allan Bloom's arguments to illustrate the historical shift within academia. Fiamengo noted Bloom's central claim that professors gradually lost faith in the university as an independent, sacred space dedicated purely to the pursuit of objective truth and deep contemplation, transforming it instead into an arena for political and social engagement. Across these podcast appearances, speakers used Bloom's text to diagnose perceived institutional failures and intellectual stagnation within Western universities. The discussions underscored the enduring relevance of the book's warnings regarding the erosion of traditional liberal arts education, the abandonment of rigorous philosophical inquiry, and the widespread embrace of cultural relativism among students and faculty alike.
Who recommended it
- Janice Fiamengo Discussed
- David Mamet Discussed
Janice Fiamengo — 2 mentions
“Allan bloom I'm sure you've read the closing of the American mind you know he is claimed is that professors lost faith in the idea of the University as a sort of separate space where you you simply thought about things you didn't get involved”
“Allan bloom I'm sure you've read the closing of the American mind you know he is claimed is that professors lost faith in the idea of the University as a separate space”
David Mamet — 1 mention
“and alan bloom talked about this the great allen bloom in 1988 he wrote a book called the i think it's called the death of the american mind”