I wonder how the foreign policies of the United States would look if we wiped out the national boundaries of the world, at least in our minds, and thought of all children everywhere as our own.
Howard ZinnRead
Education can, and should be, dangerous.
Interpretation
Education should challenge norms and provoke critical thinking.
Howard Zinn emphasizes that education is not just about acquiring knowledge but also about questioning and challenging the status quo. It should empower individuals to think critically and take action, which can sometimes be seen as dangerous to established systems and ideas. Zinn advocates for an education that inspires change and confronts injustices rather than merely accepting them.
In practice
During a commencement speech, to inspire graduates to question societal norms.
I wonder how the foreign policies of the United States would look if we wiped out the national boundaries of the world, at least in our minds, and thought of all children everywhere as our own.
History can come in handy. If you were born yesterday, with no knowledge of the past, you might easily accept whatever the government tells you. But knowing a bit of history--while it would not absolutely prove the government was lying in a given instance--might make you skeptical, lead you to ask questions, make it more likely that you would find out the truth.
Objectivity is impossible and it is also undesirable. That is, if it were possible it would be undesirable, because if you have any kind of a social aim, if you think history should serve society in some way; should serve the progress of the human race; should serve justice in some way, then it requires that you make your selection on the basis of what you think will advance causes of humanity.
The historian's distortion is more than technical, it is ideological; it is released into a world of contending interest, where any chosen emphasis supports some kind of interest, whether economic or political or racial, or national or sexual.
Americans have been taught that their nation is civilized and humane. But, too often, U.S. actions have been uncivilized and inhumane.
The challenge remains. On the other side are formidable forces: money, political power, the major media. On our side are the people of the world and a power greater than money or weapons: the truth.
The part of my education that has had the deepest influence wasn't any particular essay or even a specific class, it was how I was able to apply everything I learned in the library to certain situations in my life. . . The library takes me away from my everyday life and allows me to see other places and learn to understand other people unlike myself.
Seldom ever was any knowledge given to keep, but to impart; the grace of this rich jewel is lost in concealment.
[I]f the writer does his job right, what he basically does is remind the reader of how smart the reader is.
Examinations are formidable even to the best prepared, for the greatest fool may ask more than the wisest man can answer.
My belief is that nothing that can be expressed by mathematics cannot be expressed by careful use of literary words.
Anything you read can influence your work, so I try to read good stuff.
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