"Because the world is radically new, the ideal encyclopedia should be radical, too"
About this Quote
Radical isn’t a vibe here; it’s a job description. Van Doren’s line argues that an encyclopedia - the old symbol of settled authority - can’t pretend the ground beneath it isn’t moving. “Radically new” does more than nod to novelty. It claims a rupture: the world has changed at the root, not just at the edges. So the reference book that once promised stability has to trade its priestly posture for something riskier: agility, openness, and a willingness to be revised.
The subtext is a critique of institutions that keep their tone even when their premises collapse. A “non-radical” encyclopedia would still speak in the confident voice of final answers, but its confidence would be cosmetic, a performance of permanence in an era defined by rapid science, decolonization, mass media, and new forms of expertise. Van Doren is saying that authority can’t be inherited; it has to be re-earned under new conditions.
The context makes the plea sharper. Van Doren was a celebrity intellectual whose public image famously imploded in the quiz-show scandal, a story about manufactured knowledge and compromised trust. That history shadows the word “ideal”: it’s not just about compiling facts, it’s about building credibility when audiences have learned to suspect the machinery behind “truth.” In that light, “radical” signals transparency, plural voices, and an admission that knowledge is provisional - not to weaken it, but to keep it honest.
The subtext is a critique of institutions that keep their tone even when their premises collapse. A “non-radical” encyclopedia would still speak in the confident voice of final answers, but its confidence would be cosmetic, a performance of permanence in an era defined by rapid science, decolonization, mass media, and new forms of expertise. Van Doren is saying that authority can’t be inherited; it has to be re-earned under new conditions.
The context makes the plea sharper. Van Doren was a celebrity intellectual whose public image famously imploded in the quiz-show scandal, a story about manufactured knowledge and compromised trust. That history shadows the word “ideal”: it’s not just about compiling facts, it’s about building credibility when audiences have learned to suspect the machinery behind “truth.” In that light, “radical” signals transparency, plural voices, and an admission that knowledge is provisional - not to weaken it, but to keep it honest.
Quote Details
| Topic | Knowledge |
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