Richard Mitchell

There is no other way to judge the work of a mind except through its words.

There is no other way to judge the work of a mind except through its words.

If you cannot be the master of your language, you must be its slave. If you cannot examine your thoughts, read more

If you cannot be the master of your language, you must be its slave. If you cannot examine your thoughts, you have no choice but to think them, however silly they may be.

You can shoot the tiger, or stay out of his way, but you cannot pronounce him a vegetarian.

You can shoot the tiger, or stay out of his way, but you cannot pronounce him a vegetarian.

We should...be able to see that our interest would be best served not by asking the state to promulgate our read more

We should...be able to see that our interest would be best served not by asking the state to promulgate our values but by forbidding the state to promulgate any values at all. If the state can espouse some value that we love, it can, with equal justice, espouse others we do not love.

Literacy is not, as it is considered in our schools, a PORTION of education. It IS education. It is at read more

Literacy is not, as it is considered in our schools, a PORTION of education. It IS education. It is at once the ability AND the inclination of the mind to find knowledge, to pursue understanding, and out of knowledge and understanding, not out of received attitudes and values or emotional responses, however "worthy," to make judgments.