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American public education is a remarkable enterprise; it succeeds best where it fails. Imagine an industry that consistently fails to read more
American public education is a remarkable enterprise; it succeeds best where it fails. Imagine an industry that consistently fails to do what it sets out to do. a factory where this year's product is invariably sleazier than last year's but, nevertheless, better than next year's. Imagine a corporation whose executives are always spending vast sums of money on studies designed to discover just what it is they are supposed to do and then vaster sums for further studies on just how to do it. Imagine a plant devoted to the manufacture of factory seconds to be sold at a loss. Imagine a producer of vacuum cleaners that rarely work hiring whole platoons of engineers who will, in time, report that it is, in fact, true that the vacuum cleaners rarely really work, and who will, for a larger fee, be glad to find out why, if that's possible. If you discover some such outfit, don't invest in it. Unfortunately, we are all required to invest in public education.
The biggest mischief in the past century has been perpetrated by Rousseau with his doctrine of the goodness of human read more
The biggest mischief in the past century has been perpetrated by Rousseau with his doctrine of the goodness of human nature. The mob and the intellectuals derived from it the vision of a Golden Age which would arrive without fail once the noble human race could act according to its whims.
...far from failing in its intended task, our educational system is in fact succeeding magnificently, because its aim is to read more
...far from failing in its intended task, our educational system is in fact succeeding magnificently, because its aim is to keep the American people thoughtless enough to go on supporting the system.
The tapestry of history has no point at which you can cut it and leave the design intelligible.
The tapestry of history has no point at which you can cut it and leave the design intelligible.
Without speculation there is no good and original observation.
Without speculation there is no good and original observation.
To gauge the understanding and insight that metaphysics provides is to ask whether, in the final analysis, it helps us read more
To gauge the understanding and insight that metaphysics provides is to ask whether, in the final analysis, it helps us to cope with our world and harmonize our existence with nature, humanity, and ourselves, and leads to greater freedom and self-realization. Metaphysics is only the beginning. The end is human progress.
Men rarely (if ever) manage to dream up a god superior to themselves. Most gods have the manners and morals read more
Men rarely (if ever) manage to dream up a god superior to themselves. Most gods have the manners and morals of a spoiled child.
Society is a madhouse whose wardens are the officials and the police.
Society is a madhouse whose wardens are the officials and the police.
Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.
Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.
