Lived 1930-1992. Former professor on the Committee on Social Thought at the
University of Chicago. Author of
The Closing of the American Mind (
1987), a pointed criticism on the failures of the American
university system,
pop culture, and
morality. He heavily promoted exposure to classic literature as the way to properly teach children societal
values and
morals.
Liberals--shocked by Bloom's anti-political correctness and his criticisms on feminism-- labeled him an "ultra-conservative." Over a decade after "Closing" surged to the top of bestseller lists, heated debate continues on education's failures.