Jacques Martin Barzun (born November 30, 1907) is a French-born American historian of ideas and culture. His areas of expertise are far-ranging including "French and German literature, music, education, ghost stories, detective fiction, language, and etymology
"Since it is seldom clear whether intellectual activity denotes a superior mode of being or a vital deficiency, opinion swings between considering intellect a privilege and seeing it as a handicap."
