The Closing of the American Mind is a 1987 book by
Allan Bloom, who describes "how
higher education has failed
democracy and impoverished the souls of today's students." He focuses especially upon the "openness" of
relativism as leading
paradoxically to the great "closing" referenced in the book's title. Bloom argues that "openness" and absolute understanding undermine critical thinking and eliminate the "point of view" that defines cultures.