Sidney Hook was an American philosopher known for his contributions to pragmatism and critical theory. He was a leading figure in the philosophy of education and political philosophy, and his work had a significant impact on American intellectual life in the mid-20th century.
Related Quotes
“To deny me the right to err is therefore to deny me the right to believe.”
“Idealism, alas, does not protect one from ignorance, dogmatism, and foolishness.”
Source: Out of step: an unquiet life in the 20th century
“[A]nti-Semitism was rife in almost all varieties of socialism.”
Source: Marxism and beyond
“Tolerance always has limits - it cannot tolerate what is itself actively intolerant.”
Source: Pragmatism and the tragic sense of life
“Fear of death has been the greatest ally of tyranny past and present.”
Source: Sidney Hook on Pragmatism, Democracy, and Freedom: The Essential Essays
“Philosophy, most broadly viewed, is the critical survey of existence from the standpoint of value.”
“Students rarely disappoint teachers who assure them in advance that they are doomed to failure.”
“To serve the public interest is not the same as being a servant of public opinion.”
Source: Political Power and Personal Freedom: Critical Studies in Democracy, Communism, and Civil Rights
Source: Out of step: an unquiet life in the 20th century
Source: Out of step: an unquiet life in the 20th century
“In contrast to totalitarianism, democracy can face and live with the truth about itself.”
Source: The Quest for Being
Source: The Hero in History: Myth, Power, Or Moral Ideal? : Remarks
Source: Sidney Hook on Pragmatism, Democracy, and Freedom: The Essential Essays
Source: Soviet hypocrisy and Western gullibility
“The easiest rationalization for the refusal to seek the truth is the denial that truth exists.”
“If one shoots at a king, one must not miss.”
Source: The Hero in History: A Study in Limitation and Possibility
“Wisdom is an affair of values, and of value judgments. It is intelligent conduct of human affairs.”