/lit/ - Literature

>>20332023
I think that's kind of the point though. We don't have a proper intellectual class anymore, because all our best minds are either busy making money in business or pursuing goal-based research at a university to attract academic funding. The clergy used to provide a vocation where it was both possible and socially acceptable to spend most of your time reading books.
The Church of England used to be even better at this, as they don't require priestly celibacy so you could have entire families with free time to study. Take the Bronte family for example. Both father and son were priests and all three daughters were teachers or governesses (therefore working seasonally). So you have an entire household who, while poor, are highly educated and have an enormous amount of free time.