Paul Goodman

Paul Goodman (1911–1972) was a prolific American writer, public intellectual, and social critic whose works spanned numerous genres and topics, including art, civil rights, decentralization, democracy, education, media, politics, psychology, technology, urban planning, and war. As a humanist and self-styled man of letters, his writings frequently addressed the individual citizen's duties within society and the responsibility to exercise autonomy, act creatively, and realize one's human nature. Born to a Jewish family in New York City, Goodman attended City College of New York and the University of Chicago. He worked as a writer and teacher, though he lost several jobs due to his overt bisexuality and draft resistance. He discovered anarchism and wrote for libertarian journals, grounding his radicalism in psychological theory. He co-authored the theory behind Gestalt therapy and practiced psychoanalysis. His 1960 book, *Growing Up Absurd*, established him as a mainstream cultural theorist and earned him the title 'the philosopher of the New Left.' His anarchistic disposition significantly influenced the 1960s counterculture and the free school movement. Despite being a prominent intellectual, his celebrity waned after his death. Goodman is remembered for his utopian proposals and his belief in human potential.