On the Issues: Tom Nichols

Access
Open to Public
On the Issues: Tom Nichols
Add to Calendar
Date

Tom Nichols, Author of The Death of Expertise: The Campaign Against Established Knowledge and Why It Matters

In this new and provocative book, Naval War College Professor Tom Nichols argues that we live in dangerous times.  “Never have so many people had access to so much knowledge, and yet been so resistant to learning anything,” he writes.  Nichols points to a number of factors for why “expertise” is increasingly viewed with scorn, why experts are often seen as elitists.  They include the ease with which information can be obtained on the internet, today’s brand of politics, trends in higher education, and media that confirm our biases.  In short, Nichols sees us moving toward a nation where everyone knows everything.  Or at least think they do.  And he says that this has serious implications for our democracy.  Tom Nichols is a professor of national security affairs at the U.S. Naval War College, an adjunct professor at the Harvard Extension School, and a former aide in the U.S. Senate.  He is the author of several books on foreign policy and international security affairs, and has written for numerous national publications and websites.

Tom Nichols
Category
Community