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Goodman, Paul (1911–1972)

Born in New York City, Paul Goodman distinguished himself as a writer, theorist, and public intellectual and critic. Goodman's literary output included numerous books and essays, as well as poetry and fiction. Taylor Stoehr, Goodman's literary executor, claimed that Goodman said writing was “my way of being in the world.” Goodman is perhaps most notably remembered as the author of Growing Up Absurd: Problems of Youth in the Organized System, which was published in 1960. Here and in his Compulsory Mis-Education, written in 1962, Goodman joined a small chorus of educational dissenters in the 1960s and early 1970s, which included Ivan Illich, publishing radical critiques of what they believed to be an inhumane, oppressive, and bureaucratic public school system. This entry discusses Paul Goodman's growing up in New York City, his rise to fame in the 1960s, and, finally, his contributions to education and society during his relatively short 60-year life.

Goodman's Life and Contributions

Goodman's father had abandoned his family during Paul's infancy. His mother worked long hours, so as a child he fended for himself and wandered the streets of New York City engaging in city life by visiting museums, libraries, parks, and other cultural works. Goodman believed he was “largely a product of his own experience and self-education.” He graduated from City College in New York in 1931 and received a PhD in Literature from the University of Chicago several years later. He taught in several colleges throughout the United States and lectured extensively on topics such as community, art, politics, and education. He was described by many as a social critic, anarchist intellectual, and trained philosopher. Although he eventually married and raised three children, his personal life somewhat inhibited him from receiving the acclaim he deserved. Admitting his bisexual preference, Goodman expressed his interest in young men and advocated open sexuality. Five years after his only son Matthew died in a mountain climbing accident, the heartbroken Goodman died of a heart attack in 1972.

Rise to Fame: The 1960s

Goodman worked most of his life with relatively little income and fame. It wasn't until the mid-1960s that he received the attention he longed for with the publication of Growing Up Absurd. This volume, along with his identification with the student movement of the 1960s, enabled Goodman to gain a formidable reputation among rebellious youth. In Growing Up Absurd, Goodman stated, “I assume that the young really need a more worth-while world in order to grow up at all, and I confront this real need with the world that they have been getting.” Goodman wrote and believed that high school was a waste of time. His critique of modern society in 1959 continues to be touted as equally true today. Goodman's book was widely read among intellectuals. The text became the voice of the young. His life work and societal concerns came together at the time when many were marching against the Vietnam War and rebelling against the establishment. Goodman's sometimes pessimistic but provocative personality fit this time period of antiwar and public discourse. His fame flourished after the publication of Growing Up Absurd, and he became a highly sought-after public speaker.

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