  The saddest part is that he's placating himself by admonishing other teachers not to waste their time traying to save the world either. urlLink The New York Times > Opinion > Op-Ed Contributor: Why We Built the Ivory Tower : "Marx famously said that our job is not to interpret the world, but to change it. In the academy, however, it is exactly the reverse: our job is not to change the world, but to interpret it. While academic labors might in some instances play a role in real-world politics — if, say, the Supreme Court cites your book on the way to a decision — it should not be the design or aim of academics to play that role. " 
