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clerisy

(19th century- )

Advocacy of cultural elitism, particularly by English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834) and Anglo-American poet T.S. Eliot (1888-1965).

In any society, there will be a minority who are distinguished by exceptional intellect, refinement, or understanding. They should, without necessarily ruling directly, set the tone and the agenda for the life of the majority.

Clerisy is thus a formalized recommendation of elitism.

Source:
T S Eliot, The Idea of a Christian Society (London, 1939)

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