Did modern education fail democracy by abandoning the study of the Western classics?

Ideas & Philosophy · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Allan Bloom, a provocative philosopher and educator, ignited a national firestorm in 1987 with his critique of American higher education. He argued that universities had lost their way, failing to teach students how to think and leaving them spiritually impoverished by ignoring the profound lessons of the past.

Born in 1930, Allan Bloom was a product of the University of Chicago, where he studied under the influential political philosopher Leo Strauss. This mentorship shaped his lifelong devotion to the Western classics and the concept of transcultural truth. Bloom’s academic career spanned prestigious institutions including Yale, Cornell, and the University of Chicago, where he eventually returned in 1979. Throughout his life, he remained a dedicated proponent of the 'theoretical life,' a pursuit he defended against labels of political conservatism.

Bloom’s most famous work, The Closing of the American Mind, published in 1987, served as a blistering indictment of contemporary academia. He contended that top-tier universities had become unconcerned with historical context, instead prioritizing curricula he deemed misguided. Bloom famously blamed factors such as rock music, television, and academic elitism for the intellectual and spiritual decline of students. While the book became a massive best-seller, it offered no simple solutions to the crisis he described, leaving his readers to grapple with the implications of an education system he believed had failed democracy.

Beyond his critique, Bloom was a prolific scholar and translator. He produced significant translations of Plato’s Republic and Rousseau’s Emile, viewing the translator’s role as a matchmaker between the reader and the text. His scholarly output included collections of essays like Giants and Dwarfs and Shakespeare’s Politics. His influence extended through his students, many of whom became prominent figures in political science and journalism. Even after his death in 1992, his work remains a focal point for debates regarding the purpose of the university and the necessity of self-discovery through the Great Books.

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