Quotes by Robert M. Hutchins

“The object of education is to prepare the young to educate themselves throughout their lives.”

“Education is a kind of continuing dialogue, and a dialogue assumes different points of view.”

“The death of democracy is not likely to be an assassination from ambush. It will be a slow extinction from apathy, indifference, and undernourishment.”

“Education is not to reform students or amuse them or to make them expert technicians. It is to unsettle their minds, widen their horizons, inflame their intellects, teach them to think straight, if possible.”

“There is only one justification for universities, as distinguished from trade schools. They must be centers of criticism.”

“A liberal education... frees a man from the prison-house of his class, race, time, place, background, family and even his nation.”

“A world community can only exist with world communication, which means something more than extensive software facilities scattered about he globe. It means common understanding, a common tradition, common ideas and common ideals.”

“It is not so important to be serious as it is to be serious about the important things. The monkey wears an expression of seriousness which would do credit to any college student, but the monkey is serious because he itches.”

“We can put television in its proper light by supposing that Gutenbergs great invention had been directed at printing only comic books.”

“Freedom is when the people can speak, democracy is when the government listens.”

“Democracy encourages the majority to decide things about which the majority is ignorant.”

“Its not the voting thats democracy; its the counting.”

“Democracy and socialism have nothing in common but one word, equality. But notice the difference: while democracy seeks equality in liberty, socialism seeks equality in restraint and servitude.”

Whenever I feel like exercise I lie down until the feeling passes.

More free time means more time to waste. The worker who used to have only a little time in which to get drunk and beat his wife now has time to get drunk beat his wife - and watch TV.

A world community can exist only with world communication, which means something more than extensive short-wave facilities scattered; about the globe. It means common understanding, a common tradition, common ideas, and common ideals.

The college graduate is presented with a sheepskin to cover his intellectual nakedness.

The death of democracy is not likely to be an assassination from ambush. It will be a slow extinction from apathy, indifference, and undernourishment.

A liberal education... frees a man from the prison-house of his class, race, time, place, background, family and even his nation.

Education is a kind of continuing dialogue, and a dialogue assumes different points of view.