''The Vision of the Anointed'' (1995) is a book by economist and political columnist

Thomas Sowell Thomas Sowell (; born June 30, 1930) is an American author, economist, political commentator and academic who is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution. With widely published commentary and books—and as a guest on TV and radio—he becam ...

which brands ''the anointed'' as promoters of a

worldview A worldview or world-view or ''Weltanschauung'' is the fundamental cognitive orientation of an individual or society encompassing the whole of the individual's or society's knowledge, culture, and point of view. A worldview can include natural ...

concocted out of fantasy impervious to any real-world considerations. Sowell asserts that these thinkers, writers, and activists continue to be revered even in the face of evidence disproving their positions. Sowell argues that American thought is dominated by a "prevailing vision" which seals itself off from any

empirical evidence Empirical evidence for a proposition is evidence, i.e. what supports or counters this proposition, that is constituted by or accessible to sense experience or experimental procedure. Empirical evidence is of central importance to the sciences ...

that is inconsistent with that vision. The book challenges people Sowell refers to as "

Teflon Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is a synthetic fluoropolymer of tetrafluoroethylene that has numerous applications. It is one of the best-known and widely applied PFAS. The commonly known brand name of PTFE-based composition is Teflon by Chemo ...

prophets," who predict that there will be future social, economic, or environmental problems in the absence of government intervention (

Ralph Nader Ralph Nader (; born February 27, 1934) is an American political activist, author, lecturer, and attorney noted for his involvement in consumer protection, environmentalism, and government reform causes. The son of Lebanese immigrants to the U ...

is one of his foremost examples). The book was initially published in 1995 by Basic Books. It was described as a "masterpiece" by

Nick Cater Nicholas Charles Cater is a British-born Australian journalist and author who writes on culture and politics. He is a columnist for ''The Australian'' newspaper. Early life and education Cater was born in Billericay, Essex, and grew up in Hyth ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vision of the Anointed 1995 non-fiction books Basic Books books Books by Thomas Sowell Books in political philosophy