In his essay collection Representations of the Intellectual, he staunchly defined the intellectual as an individual with a special public character who can represent, provide concrete examples of, and convey information, points of view, attitudes and philosophies both "to" and "for" the public.
他在演講集《知識分子論》裡，堅定而清楚地把知識分子定位成「具有特定公共角色的個人」，且必須是「具有能力『向』公眾、以及『為』公眾，來代表、具現、表明訊息、觀點、態度、哲學，或意見的個人。」