Intellectuals in Developing Societies

This work was first published in 1977, alongside The Myth of the Lazy Native. It was written after Syed Hussein Alatas’ withdrawal from active politics. Alatas’ experience as the national chairperson of Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia and presence in the Senate brought him face-to-face with problems that were largely the result of the kind of elites ruling the country. Intellectuals flourish during times of crisis; but in periods of relative calm, they must form a community, without which there will not be conscious and intelligent solutions to the problems faced by developing societies. These problems must be met by intellectual justice, not with the exploitative ignorance of the fools. Only after the emergence of such a community can the developing societies of our world escape the clutches of the fools and chart their own course. Contents include discussions on the Malaysian background, the role of intellectuals, and issues related to backwardness and modernization.