Allan Bloom

Date of Birth: September 14, 1930

Zodiac Sign: Virgo

Date of Death: October 7, 1992

Biography

Allan David Bloom was an American philosopher, classicist, and academician. He is best known for his critique of contemporary American higher education and his defense of classical education, most prominently articulated in his 1987 book, “The Closing of the American Mind.” Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, Bloom was a bright student who showed an early interest in philosophy and the classics. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Chicago, where he earned his Ph.B. and A.M. degrees. He pursued further studies in Paris and later earned his Ph.D. at the University of Chicago. Bloom was a professor at several prestigious institutions, including Cornell University, the University of Toronto, and the University of Chicago. His teaching style was characterized by a deep engagement with the texts of Western philosophy and literature, and he was known for his rigorous and demanding courses. “The Closing of the American Mind” became a bestseller and sparked widespread debate about the state of higher education in the United States. In the book, Bloom argued that universities had abandoned the pursuit of truth in favor of political correctness and relativism, leading to a decline in intellectual rigor and moral standards. Despite the controversy, the book solidified Bloom’s reputation as a significant public intellectual. In addition to his work on education, Bloom was a translator and interpreter of classical texts, including works by Plato and Rousseau. He also wrote extensively on topics ranging from politics and culture to music and literature.

5 Interesting Facts about Allan Bloom

1. Allan Bloom studied under the influential German-American political philosopher Leo Strauss at the University of Chicago.

2. His book “The Closing of the American Mind” sold over a million copies and stayed on the New York Times bestseller list for several months.

3. Bloom was a close friend and intellectual collaborator with the political theorist Saul Bellow, who based a character on him in his novel “Ravelstein.”

4. He was fluent in several languages, including French and Ancient Greek.

5. Bloom’s critique of rock music in “The Closing of the American Mind” was particularly controversial, as he argued that it promoted hedonism and moral relativism.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Allan Bloom

1. “Education is the movement from darkness to light.”

2. “The failure to read good books both enfeebles the vision and strengthens our most fatal tendency— the belief that the here and now is all there is.”

3. “Freedom of the mind requires not only, or not even especially, the absence of legal constraints but the presence of alternative thoughts.”

4. “The real community of man is the community of those who seek the truth, of the potential knowers.”

5. “The liberally educated person is one who is able to resist the easy and preferred answers by thinking skeptically.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

At the peak of his career, particularly after the success of “The Closing of the American Mind,” Allan Bloom’s net worth was estimated to be around $5 million.