Lumpen Intellectual

[James Dawson]

Somewhat prompted and encouraged by Ronald's post, I thought I stop procrastinating and ask another question, thinking maybe I can inject the interest of some fresh neophyte blood into the forum.

I have occasionally over the years referred to myself as a "lumpen intellectual" in a sort of humorously self-deprecating way.

What I have wondered about this term is, did I invent it myself, or did someone else?  If the latter, I've wondered if I might not be misusing it.  I've looked it up in my condensed OED, but found only "lumpen", without intellectual.  I don't think I've found much, if anything, on Google.  Of course I'm aware of the compound "lumpen proletariat" and know what that means.

What I'm reaching for, is a word to describe the "working class intellectual" or maybe lower, who for any number of reasons, has not had or completed a formal education, either elementary, high school, or college. Who is intellectually curious and reads more than the average person.  Autodidact comes to mind, but that suggests to me someone whose studies are more systematic and disciplined than "lumpen intellectual's", the latter being more of a "coffee house" intellectual, who isn't really necessarily trying to "master" any subject, but just delves in as the impulse moves him.  A "dilletante" sounds like an upperclass, blase dabbler, whereas a "lumpen" brings more "hunger" to his interests. (I've read both the "Autodidact" and "Dilletantism" articles on Wikipedia.

Is such a person recognized in sociology?  Are there studies of him or her, as a social phenomenon?



------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org