Abstract

Walton takes his lead from the 1956 book by Columbia University’s C. Wright Mills, The Power Elite. The “new power elite,” Walton argues, has gravitated from business to the academy. What goes on there, he is convinced, affects every area of life, notably law, government, business, science, and, one might say, culture in general. Bewildered by the titanic changes occurring simultaneously in law, in the business world, in education, and in the family structure, Walton draws upon his considerable experience in the academy to explore the ideological roots of these changes. Widely read, he is not only conversant with the major philosophical trends of the last half of the 20th century but draws upon his considerable experience in the academy as a dean of Duquesne University’s School of Business, as dean of Columbia University’s School of General Studies, and as president of The Catholic University of America. His discussion is wide ranging, but the focus is on the influence of Heidegger, Derrida, and Foucault. Philosophy, he fears, has lost its character as a science based on accurate and precise descriptions of nature and human nature, one given to making distinctions and refining definitions and finally to offering explanations. It is not and should not be, he insists, politics, propaganda, or an evangelizing instrument for cultural change.