Solis, Veronica D. COMM 1 Prcis: WHAT AN INTELLECTUAL ISAND IS NOT The answer to the question What is an intellectual?

is not at all a long list of names of individuals who are perceived by many as such. The answer to this question is a simple roster of qualifications and characteristics that, indeed, define an intellectual. He who sees issues and other circumstances in a Socratic manner is an intellectual. He does not leave any questions unansweredany problem unsolved, and he carefully follows certain steps in doing so. And in the end, he willingly discloses to others this process of reasoning h e h a d u s e d t o a r r i v e a t t h e a n s w e r o r s o l u t i o n . An intellectual does not fail to establish equilibrium between the moral aspects and the factual aspects of an issueunlike an average scientist who merely focuses on the facts he had gathered. He possesses illustrious thoughtsunlike most teachers who have simply acquired mastery and knowledge in just a single subject area or two. He also presents moral issues the way they appear in reality, nothing more and nothing lessunlike a creative writer or artist who tends to sensationalize and exaggerate the real thing. Therefore, a politician is not, as well, considered and intellectual for he fails to expose the whole truth and every bit of it. Lastly, an intellectual seeks the dialectical opposition which saints, prophets, and revolutionaries fail to do as they remain pursuant of their own thoughts, arguments, and advocacies. Although there are a number of individuals who are similarly essential as intellectuals in terms of their contributions to moral issues aroundlike teachers, writers, artists, politicians, saints, prophets, and revolutionariesstill not all of them are considered intellectuals for some, if not many, fail to meet all qualifications of becoming and being an intellectual. This only shows that recognizing ones profession is already sufficient for him be classified as an intellectual or not. Occupation is merely not a basis, character and values are. An intellectual is able to characterize three marks which certify him as such. First, he evidently shows gusto and enthusiasm in moral problems especially when they concern a vast population. Second, he freely expresses his views on every issue after carefully analyzing and studying collected evidences and recognizing facts from fallacies. This second characteristic leads to the last and the most important which isan intellectual has no fear at all of putting his ideas and statements as subjects of critical discussions. Nevertheless it is never his aim to create a debating atmosphere, what he wants is simply the truth let out. The Socratic thinker, the just and fair, the revealer of the truth, the moral problems enthusiast, the articulate and fearless, is an intellectual otherwise, not at all.