This unique collection brings together various scholars of sociology and political science to explore the status and activities of the intellectuals and the intelligentsia past, present and future. The intellectuals and intelligentsia perform a social role as well as a mental function and are products of their age and country. Their role in various parts of the globe and in different historical periods is compared and contrasted. Long-range historical perspective is provided by an essay on the sociology of intellectual creativity in the axial period of human history. In addition, the role of the intellectual and intelligentsia and its implications for the future development of Third World nations is considered.