"A system of education under government control, separation of school and church, universal free education — all these are great achievements of social progress. But everything has a reverse side. In this case it is excessive standardization, extending to the teaching process itself, to the curriculum, especially in literature, history, civics, geography, and to the system of examinations. One cannot but see a danger in excessive reference to authority and in the limitation of discussion and intellectual boldness at an age when personal convictions are beginning to be formed. In the old China, the systems of examinations for official positions led to mental stagnation and to the canonizing of the reactionary aspects of Confucianism. It is highly undesirable to have anything like that in a modern society."
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
Imported from EN Wikiquote
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Andrei_Sakharov
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
Andrei Sakharov
Andrei Sakharov (May 21, 1921 – December 14, 1989) was a Soviet-Russian nuclear physicist, dissident and human rights activist. Sakharov was an advocate of civil liberties and reforms in the Soviet Union and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1975.
53 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by Andrei Sakharov →
Related Quotes
"The division of mankind threatens it with destruction. Civilization is imperiled by: a universal thermonuclear war, c…"
"Millions of people throughout the world are striving to put an end to poverty. They despise oppression, dogmatism, an…"
"Intellectual freedom is essential to human society — freedom to obtain and distribute information, freedom for open-m…"
"The worldwide dangers of war, famine, cults of personality, and bureaucracy — these are perils for all of mankind. Re…"
"Three technical aspects of thermonuclear weapons have made thermonuclear war a peril to the very existence of humanit…"
"A very large nuclear war would be a calamity of indescribable proportions and absolutely unpredictable consequences, …"
"The technology and tactics of attack have now far surpassed the technology of defense despite the development of high…"
"The experience of past wars shows that the first use of a new technical or tactical method of attack is usually highl…"
"Fortunately for the stability of the world, the difference between the technical-economic potentials of the Soviet Un…"
"We regard as "scientific" a method based on deep analysis of facts, theories, and views, presupposing unprejudiced, u…"