It is argued that the check upon the oppressive power of this particular oligarchy lies in an intellectual aristocracy, not in appeal to an ignorant, fickle mass whose interests are superficial and trivial, and whose judgments are saved from incredible levity only when weighted down by heavy prejudice.
Dewey argues that the check on oligarchic power lies in an intellectual elite rather than the general public.
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Competition will continue, but it will be less rivalry for acquisition of material goods, and more an emulation of local groups to enrich direct experience with appreciatively enjoyed intellectual and artistic wealth.
We lie, as Emerson said, in the lap of an immense intelligence.
But the wingèd words of conversation in immediate intercourse have a vital import lacking in the fixed and frozen words of written speech.
Signs and symbols, language, are the means of communication by which a fraternally shared experience is ushered in and sustained.