What one generation sees as a luxury, the next sees as a necessity.

What one generation sees as a luxury, the next sees as a necessity.

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.

There is no such thing as philosophy-free science; there is only science whose philosophical baggage is taken on board without read more

There is no such thing as philosophy-free science; there is only science whose philosophical baggage is taken on board without examination.

The difference between a professional person and a technician is that a technician knows everything about his job except its read more

The difference between a professional person and a technician is that a technician knows everything about his job except its ultimate purpose and his place in the scheme of things.

The instinct of nearly all societies is to lock up anybody who is
truly free. First, society begins by read more

The instinct of nearly all societies is to lock up anybody who is
truly free. First, society begins by trying to beat you up. If
this fails, they try to poison you. If this fails too, the
finish by loading honors on your head.

There is no truth sure enough to justify persecution.

There is no truth sure enough to justify persecution.

Disapproval is a very important factor in all progress. There has really never been any progress without it.

Disapproval is a very important factor in all progress. There has really never been any progress without it.

We are in the process of creating what deserves to be called the idiot culture. Not an idiot sub-culture, which read more

We are in the process of creating what deserves to be called the idiot culture. Not an idiot sub-culture, which every society has bubbling beneath the surface and which can provide harmless fun; but the culture itself. For the first time, the weird and the stupid and the coarse are becoming our cultural norm, even our cultural ideal.

It is not at all simple to understand the simple.

It is not at all simple to understand the simple.