Education and the Barricades

Charles Frankel liberal philosopher author of The Case for Modern Man and former Undersecretary of State in the Johnson administration has undertaken an engaging razor-sharp analysis of student unrest on American campuses. By concentrating his logician''s weapons on obscurantisms which comprise much of the contemporary revolutionary lexicon Frankel attempts to determine the operative meanings of student slogans such as student rights democracy and a relevant education. Frankel attempts to go beyond the surface of slogan and generality which he feels characterize so much of the general discussion on student revolution. He believes that even though student upset is inextricably related to larger social and political questions vis a vis the war in Vietnam the draft the breakdown of communication between young and old black and white the deterioration of individualistic expression the seething misery of life in our cities and the estrangement of many intellectuals from official government service (Frankel...