"It is easy to criticize Innis's negativism and his encouragement of an apolitical stance for the intellectual in society. But to see only the negative side of his outlook --- his economic determinism, relativism, and apoliticism --- is to miss a positive central thread that runs through his work, from the investigation of the fur staple to his defence of scholarship, and later, his explorations in the biases of communications: to understand limits is to enhance the freedom of the nation and the individual."
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Academics from CanadaEconomists from CanadaEducators from CanadaPeople from OntarioHistorians from Canada
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
Carl Berger (1976) in The Writing of Canadian History, p. 111.
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Harold_Innis
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
Harold Innis
Harold Adams Innis (5 November 1894 – 8 November 1952) was a Canadian professor of political economy at the University of Toronto and the author of seminal works on media, communication theory and Canadian economic history.
29 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by Harold Innis →
Related Quotes
"We have not yet realized that the Indian and his culture were fundamental to the growth of Canadian institutions."
"Canada emerged as a political entity with boundaries largely determined by the fur trade. These boundaries included a…"
"Canada came under the sweep of the Industrial Revolution at one stroke whereas the western movement of the United Sta…"
"The Canadian government has a closer relation to economic activities than most governments. The trade in staples, whi…"
"The diversity of institutions has made possible the combination of government ownership and private enterprise which …"
"It is suggested that all written works, including this one, have dangerous implications to the vitality of an oral tr…"
"The concepts of time and space reflect the significance of media to civilization. Media that emphasize time are those…"
"The significance of a basic medium to its civilization is difficult to appraise since the means of appraisal are infl…"
"Innis comments on how the invention of writing and the advancement of military techniques led to the founding of anci…"
"The history of Canada has been profoundly influenced by the habits of an animal which very fittingly occupies a promi…"