It is imperative to maintain intellectual sanctuaries in a world where Harvard University forbids the discussion of certain important issues and Columbia University welcomes the contributions of a master terrorist.
Christopher Demuth, the retiring president of the American Enterprise Institute, has the above quoted and other notable observations about think tanks and how such "schools" differ from universities:
- To be sure, think tanks--at least those on the right--do not attempt to disguise their political affinities in the manner of the (invariably left-leaning) universities. We are "schools" in the old sense of the term: groups of scholars who share a set of philosophical premises and take them as far as we can in empirical research, persuasive writing, and arguments among ourselves and with those of other schools.
- We are organized in ways that depart sharply from university organization. Think-tank scholars do not have tenure, make faculty appointments, allocate budgets or offices or sit on administrative committees.
- And we pay careful attention to the craft of good speaking and writing.
- Every one of the right-of-center think tanks was founded in a spirit of opposition to the established order of things. Opposition is the natural proclivity of the intellectual (it's what leads some smart people to become intellectuals rather than computer programmers), and is of course prerequisite to criticism and devotion to reform. And for conservatives, opposition lasted a very long time--in domestic policy, from the New Deal through 1980.
- As dissenters, they were fiercely attached to the principles of intellectual independence, freedom of inquiry, and open debate.
- And as dissenters with little hope of influencing actual policy, at least in the short run, they were politically independent, too--uninterested in accommodating their views to strategic calculations or partisan interests.
- Think tanks serve as storehouses of ideas, patiently developed and nurtured, waiting for the crisis when practical men are desperately seeking a new approach, or for the inspired leader who sees the possibilities of action before the crisis arrives.
Demuth goes on to note that "ideas have consequences," however "partial and contingent is the role of ideas in the march of politics." Usually, it takes a long time for the consequences to mature into action. Occasionally it can happen more quickly:
Sometimes the moment comes with astonishing speed. Last December, a group of military specialists closeted themselves at AEI to see if they could devise a new strategy for the war in Iraq, one that might have a reasonable prospect of victory following three years of catastrophic mistakes. Their plan was adopted within weeks by the White House, Pentagon and new commanders in the field, with all credit due to our soldiers in action for their great success to date.
I highly recommend you read the whole thing.
Recent Comments