Norberto Bobbio e o paradoxo dos intelectuais

To what extent can idea and action ever converge? For Bobbio, the difficulty of this question legitimizes the long-standing debate established over the last century regarding “the role of intellectuals in society.” Although this issue has generated far more divergence than agreement, in Bobbio's view, it is the existence of different types of intellectuals that makes such reflection possible. In this paper, I intend to show that, according to the Italian thinker, the judgment and condemnation of the different in favor of one's own image, in addition to fueling a naive narcissistic sentiment, is a stance that is not only anti-intellectual but also contradictory and counterproductive, based on a moralism that runs counter to the plural ideal of democracy. Bobbio, in this sense, advocates for an intellectual stance that, aware of its role in society, distances itself from ideological fanaticism and moderates the dialogue between different perspectives.