Classics, the Culture Wars, and Beyond

Beginning with a short intellectual history of the academic culture wars,Eric Adler’s book examines popular polemics including those by AllanBloom and Dinesh D'Souza, and considers the oddly marginal role ofclassical studies in these conflicts. In presenting a brief history of classicsin American education, the volume sheds light on the position of thehumanities in general.

The book dissects three significant controversies from the era: theso-called AJP affair, which supposedly pitted a conservative journaleditor against his feminist detractors; the brouhaha surrounding MartinBernal’s contentious Black Athena project; and the dustup associatedwith Victor Davis Hanson and John Heath’s fire-breathing jeremiad, WhoKilled Homer? The book concludes by considering these controversiesas a means to end the crisis for classical studies in American education.How can the study of antiquity-and the humanities-thrive in thecontemporary academy? Classics, the Culture Wars, and Beyond providesworkable solutions to end the crisis for classics and for the humanities aswell.

This major work also includes findings from a web survey of Americanclassical scholars, offering the first broadly representative impression ofwhat they think about their discipline and its prospects for the future. EricAdler also conducted numerous in-depth interviews with participants inthe controversies discussed, allowing readers to gain the most reliableinformation possible about these controversies.

Those concerned about the liberal arts and the best way to educateyoung Americans should read this book. Accessible and jargon-free,this narrative of scholarly scandals and their context makes for bothenjoyable and thought-provoking reading.