Nation: A Gabble of Experts, or: Who Will Bell the Cat?

WITH its plain white cover and official seal, the pamphlet from the Senate Subcommittee on National Security and International Operations looked as dull and uninviting as any other Government document. Even the Government Printing Office has its sleepers, however, and Of Specialists and Generalists quickly became the hottest item in Washington. A 71-page compilation of commentary from ancient and modern thinkers, it deals with the question of which is preferable: the specialist with expertise in one field, or the generalist, with broader, if shallower, wisdom. In an age where much rests on the judgment of public men, the question is of...

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