Deptartment of English, Faculty of Arts, The Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan.
Abstract
This article looks into the changing conception and roles of intellectuals in modern times, especially with relation to power politics. It begins by discussing their ability to effect social or political change or voice opposition to the status quo. It then moves to establish a distinction between private and public intellectuals with regard to their political relevance and commitment. The article specifically discusses the interrelationship between intellectuals and power, using as illustrative examples and for theoretical framing the cultural work of Edward Said and Michel Foucault on the one hand and the fictional work of J. M. Coetzee on the other hand. It is argued that there is an inevitable clash between intellectuals and power which can be tackled in two ways: opposition or conformity. While there is no escape from the dynamics of power relations and influence, intellectuals have the crucial and ethical duty of "speaking truth to power," creating in the process a counter power. There is, however, an essential difference between approaching power as a supplicant pleading for truth and justice or as a dissenter who rejects or challenges power. In a nutshell, intellectuals have a difficult and even ambivalent relationship with power structures.
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