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Ivan Illich Quotes

Philosopher

Ivan Illich, born on September 4, 1926 and died on December 2, 2002, was a renowned philosopher. His research focused on the fields of education, technology, and social criticism, reflecting deeply on modern society.

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Famous Ivan Illich Quotes

“We are the witnesses of a barely perceptible transformation in ordinary language: verbs which formerly expressed satisfying actions have been replaced by nouns which name packages designed for passive consumption only -- 'to learn' becomes 'to accumulate credits'.”

Language Education Learning Satisfaction Consumption Educational Philosophy

Book:The Right to Useful Unemployment: And Its Professional Enemies

Source: The Right to Useful Unemployment: And Its Professional Enemies

“I believe that a desirable future depends on our deliberately choosing a life of action over a life of consumption, on our engendering a lifestyle which will enable us to be spontaneous, independent, yet related to each other, rather than maintaining a lifestyle which only allows to make and unmake, produce and consume - a style of life which is merely a way station on the road to the depletion and pollution of the environment. The future depends more upon our choice of institutions which support a life of action than on our developing new ideologies and technologies.”

“A low-energy policy allows for a wide choice of life-styles and cultures. If, on the other hand, a society opts for high energy consumption, its social relations must be dictated by technocracy and will be equally degrading whether labeled capitalist or socialist.”

“Current nationalism is merely the affirmation of the right of colonial elites to repeat historyand follow the road travelled by the rich toward the universal consumption of internationally marketed packages, a road which can ultimately lead only to universal pollution and universal frustration.”

Rich Universal Currents Repeats Frustration Nationalism Elites Pollution Consumption Affirmation Packages

Book:Tradition and Revolution

Source: Tradition and Revolution

“In both rich and poor nations consumption is polarized while expectation is equalized.”

Nations Poor Rich Expectations Consumption Rich And Poor Poor Nations

Book:Tradition and Revolution

Source: Tradition and Revolution

“The household became the place where the consumption of wages takes place.”

Household Consumption Wages

Author:Ivan Illich

“The myth of unending consumption has taken the place of the belief in life everlasting.”

Belief Taken Myth Consumption Everlasting Unending

Author:Ivan Illich

About the Author

Born: September 4, 1926
Died: December 2, 2002
Known for: Philosopher
Quotes: 103

Books & Sources

Deschooling SocietyRelated source material

The Dawn of Epimethean Man, and Other EssaysRelated source material

The Right to Useful Unemployment: And Its Professional EnemiesRelated source material

Energy and EquityRelated source material

Limits to medicineRelated source material

Tradition and RevolutionRelated source material

GenderRelated source material

Limits to Medicine: Medical Nemesis: The Expropriation of HealthRelated source material

The church, change, and developmentRelated source material

In the Mirror of the Past: Lectures and Addresses, 1978-1990Related source material

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