Education in the West, particularly higher education in America, has lost the ability to see the universe from very far away.

- Charles Van Doren

I cannot take back one word or action; the past does not change for anyone.

- Charles Van Doren

Some of you read with me 40 years ago a portion of Aristotle's Ethics, a selection of passages that describe his idea of happiness. You may not remem…

- Charles Van Doren

I have deceived my friends, and I had millions of them.

- Charles Van Doren

I worked hard at memorizing lists of facts and figures, and carried with me a book of facts.

- Charles Van Doren

My total winnings after 14 appearances were $129,000.

- Charles Van Doren

I have learned a lot about good and evil - they are not always what they appear to be.

- Charles Van Doren

I hoped that it would be possible to slide slowly from my public life back to the life of teaching and writing that I had always wanted. But things d…

- Charles Van Doren

Because the world is radically new, the ideal encyclopedia should be radical, too.

- Charles Van Doren