The pillars of truth and the pillars of freedom--they are the pillars of society.

The pillars of truth and the pillars of freedom--they are the pillars of society.

Today the world changes so quickly that in growing up we take leave not just of youth but of the read more

Today the world changes so quickly that in growing up we take leave not just of youth but of the world we were young in.

And what is a good citizen? Simply one who never says, does or thinks anything that is unusual. Schools are read more

And what is a good citizen? Simply one who never says, does or thinks anything that is unusual. Schools are maintained in order to bring this uniformity up to the highest possible point. A school is a hopper into which children are heaved while they are still young and tender; therein they are pressed into certain standard shapes and covered from head to heels with official rubber-stamps.

The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it read more

The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new; nor can it keep people persuaded once they have ceased to believe. It penetrates into minds already open, and rather than instill opinion it articulates and justifies opinions already present in the minds of its recipients.

The smashing of idols is in itself such a preoccupation that it is almost impossible for the iconoclast to look read more

The smashing of idols is in itself such a preoccupation that it is almost impossible for the iconoclast to look clearly into a future when there will not be many idols left to smash.

Society is only possible on these terms, that the individual finds therein a strengthening of his own ego and his read more

Society is only possible on these terms, that the individual finds therein a strengthening of his own ego and his own will.

Civilized ages inherit the human nature which was victorious in barbarous ages, and that nature is, in many respects, not read more

Civilized ages inherit the human nature which was victorious in barbarous ages, and that nature is, in many respects, not at all suited to civilized circumstances.

The sort of dependence that results from exchange, i.e., from commercial transactions, is a reciprocal dependence. We cannot be dependent read more

The sort of dependence that results from exchange, i.e., from commercial transactions, is a reciprocal dependence. We cannot be dependent upon a foreigner without his being dependent on us. Now, this is what constitutes the very essence of society. To sever natural interrelations is not to make oneself independent, but to isolate oneself completely.

The acquiring of culture is the development of an avid hunger for knowledge and beauty.

The acquiring of culture is the development of an avid hunger for knowledge and beauty.