Explores the public role of the intellectual in times of national crisis. This book compares American responses to the Vietnam War and French responses to the Algerian War, finding many similarities in the way intellectuals voiced their outrage at the policies of their governments.
Mounier, Benda, Nizan, Brasillach, Sartre
Exploring the motivations behind intellectuals' political engagement, the book examines five prominent figures from France between 1920 and 1945. Covering a spectrum from communism to fascism, it analyzes the lives and thoughts of Paul Nizan, Jean-Paul Sartre, Emmanuel Mounier, Julien Benda, and Robert Brasillach. Through their diverse responses to the social, political, and economic tensions of the interwar period, the author sheds light on the complexities of intellectual involvement in politics.