7/26/2020 What Is Education?

Insights from the World's Greatest Minds | Psychology Today

US

Find a Therapist (City or Zip) Verified by Psychology Today

Marilyn Price-Mitchell Ph.D.

The Moment of Youth

What Is Education? Insights from the World's

Greatest Minds
Forty thought-provoking quotes about education.
Posted May 12, 2014

19

As we seek to refine and reform today’s system of education, we would do well to ask, “What is education?” Our
answers may provide insights that get to the heart of what matters for 21st century children and adults alike.

It is important to step back from divisive debates on grades, standardized testing, and teacher evaluation—and
really look at the meaning of education. So I decided to do just that—to research the answer to this
straightforward, yet complex question.

Looking for wisdom from some of the greatest philosophers, poets, educators, historians, theologians,
politicians, and world leaders, I found answers that should not only exist in our history books, but also remain at
the core of current education dialogue.

In my work as a developmental psychologist, I constantly struggle to balance the goals of formal education with
the goals of raising healthy, happy children who grow to become contributing members of families and society.
Along with academic skills, the educational journey from kindergarten through college is a time when young
people develop many interconnected abilities.

As you read through the following quotes, you’ll discover common threads that unite the intellectual, social,
emotional, and physical aspects of education. For me, good education facilitates the development of an internal
compass that guides us through life.  

Which quotes resonate most with you? What images of education come to your mind? How can we best
integrate the wisdom of the ages to address today’s most pressing education challenges?

If you are a middle or high school teacher, I invite you to have your students write an essay entitled, “What is
Education?” After reviewing the famous quotes below and the images they evoke, ask students to develop their
very own quote that answers this question. With their unique quote highlighted at the top of their essay, ask
them to write about what helps or hinders them from getting the kind of education they seek. I’d love to publish
some student quotes, essays, and images in future articles, so please contact me if students are willing to
share! 

What Is Education? Answers from 5th Century BC to the 21st Century

. The principle goal of education in the schools should be creating men and women who are capable of doing
new things, not simply repeating what other generations have done. — Jean Piaget, 1896-1980, Swiss
developmental psychologist, philosopher

. An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It's being able
to differentiate between what you know and what you don't. — Anatole France, 1844-1924, French poet,
novelist

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-moment-youth/201405/what-is-education-insights-the-worlds-greatest-minds 1/6
7/26/2020 What Is Education? Insights from the World's Greatest Minds | Psychology Today

. Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. — Nelson Mandela, 1918-
2013, South African President, philanthropist US

. The object of education is to teach us to love beauty. — Plato, 424-348 BC, philosopher mathematician

. The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus
character - that is the goal of true education — Martin Luther King, Jr., 1929-1968, pastor, activist,
humanitarian

. Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school. Albert Einstein, 1879-
1955, physicist

. It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. — Aristotle, 384-
322 BC, Greek philosopher, scientist

. Education is the power to think clearly, the power to act well in the world’s work, and the power to
appreciate life. — Brigham Young, 1801-1877, religious leader

. Real education should educate us out of self into something far finer – into a selflessness which links us with
all humanity. — Nancy Astor, 1879-1964, American-born English politician and socialite

. Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire. — William Butler Yeats, 1865-1939, Irish poet

. Education is freedom. — Paulo Freire, 1921-1997, Brazilian educator, philosopher

. Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself. — John Dewey, 1859-1952, philosopher,
psychologist, education reformer 

. Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom. — George Washington Carver, 1864-1943,
scientist, botanist, educator 

. Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing that is worth
knowing can be taught. — Oscar Wilde, 1854-1900, Irish writer, poet

. The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows. — Sydney J. Harris, 1917-1986, journalist

. Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one. — Malcolm Forbes, 1919-1990, publisher,
politician

. No one has yet realized the wealth of sympathy, the kindness and generosity hidden in the soul of a child.
The effort of every true education should be to unlock that treasure. — Emma Goldman, 1869 – 1940,
political activist, writer

. Much education today is monumentally ineffective. All too often we are giving young people cut flowers
when we should be teaching them to grow their own plants. — John W. Gardner, 1912-2002, Secretary of
Health, Education, and Welfare under President Lyndon Johnson

. Education is simply the soul of a society as it passes from one generation to another. — Gilbert K.
Chesterton, 1874-1936, English writer, theologian, poet, philosopher

. Education is the movement from darkness to light. — Allan Bloom, 1930-1992, philosopher, classicist, and
academician

. Education is learning what you didn't even know you didn't know. -- Daniel J. Boorstin, 1914-2004, historian,
professor, attorney

. The aim of education is the knowledge, not of facts, but of values. — William S. Burroughs, 1914-1997,
novelist, essayist, painter

. The object of education is to prepare the young to educate themselves throughout their lives. -- Robert M.
Hutchins, 1899-1977, educational philosopher

. Education is all a matter of building bridges. — Ralph Ellison, 1914-1994, novelist, literary critic, scholar

. What sculpture is to a block of marble, education is to the soul. — Joseph Addison, 1672-1719, English
essayist, poet, playwright, politician

. Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today. — Malcolm
X, 1925-1965, minister and human rights activist

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-moment-youth/201405/what-is-education-insights-the-worlds-greatest-minds 2/6
7/26/2020 What Is Education? Insights from the World's Greatest Minds | Psychology Today

. Education is the key to success in life, and teachers make a lasting impact in the lives of their students.
 — Solomon Ortiz, 1937-, former U.S. Representative-TX US

. The very spring and root of honesty and virtue lie in good education. — Plutarch, 46-120AD, Greek historian,
biographer, essayist

. Education is a shared commitment between dedicated teachers, motivated students and enthusiastic
parents with high expectations. — Bob Beauprez, 1948-, former member of U.S. House of Representatives-
CO

. The most influential of all educational factors is the conversation in a child’s home. — William Temple, 1881-
1944, English bishop, teacher

. Education is the leading of human souls to what is best, and making what is best out of them. — John
Ruskin, 1819-1900, English writer, art critic, philanthropist

. Education levels the playing field, allowing everyone to compete. — Joyce Meyer, 1943-, Christian author
and speaker

. Education is what survives when what has been learned has been forgotten. — B.F. Skinner, 1904-1990,
psychologist, behaviorist, social philosopher

. The great end of education is to discipline rather than to furnish the mind; to train it to the use of its own
powers rather than to fill it with the accumulation of others. — Tyron Edwards, 1809-1894, theologian

. Let us think of education as the means of developing our greatest abilities, because in each of us there is a
private hope and dream which, fulfilled, can be translated into benefit for everyone and greater strength of
the nation. — John F. Kennedy, 1917-1963, 35th President of the United States

. Education is like a lantern which lights your way in a dark alley. — Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, 1918-2004,
President of the United Arab Emirates for 33 years 

. When educating the minds of our youth, we must not forget to educate their hearts. — Dalai Lama, spiritual
head of Tibetan Buddhism

. Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or self-confidence. — Robert
Frost, 1874-1963, poet

. The secret in education lies in respecting the student. — Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1803-1882, essayist, lecturer,
and poet

. My mother said I must always be intolerant of ignorance, but understanding of illiteracy. That some people,
unable to go to school, were more educated and more intelligent than college professors. — Maya Angelou,
1928-, author, poet

©2014 Marilyn Price-Mitchell. All rights reserved. Please contact for permission to reprint. 

19

About the Author

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-moment-youth/201405/what-is-education-insights-the-worlds-greatest-minds 3/6
7/26/2020 What Is Education? Insights from the World's Greatest Minds | Psychology Today

US
Marilyn Price-Mitchell, Ph.D., is an Institute for Social Innovation Fellow at Fielding Graduate University and author
of Tomorrow’s Change Makers.
Online: Roots of Action Website, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

Read Next

Teenagers Need Extra Emotional How to Help Young People Fight

Support During COVID-19 Racial Inequality

The Grass Library Makes What Does It Mean to Be An Open Letter to Finding Instant Hope Animal-Centered
Us Think About Who a Gay Man? Teachers Amidst The Pandemic Education For Students
Animals Truly Are of All Ages

Science and the Arts

Most Popular

Toxic Parenting and Sibling Warfare

Is Marriage Necessary for Happiness?

Is the Gut to Blame for Sleep Problems A Language Learning Tool Hiding in Plain
and Early Death? Sight

Find a Therapist

Get the help you need from a therapist near you–a FREE service from Psychology Today.

City or Zip

Cities:
Atlanta, GA Boston, MA Chicago, IL
Austin, TX Brooklyn, NY Columbus, OH
Baltimore, MD Charlotte, NC Dallas, TX
Denver CO Milwaukee WI Raleigh NC
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-moment-youth/201405/what-is-education-insights-the-worlds-greatest-minds 4/6
7/26/2020 What Is Education? Insights from the World's Greatest Minds | Psychology Today
Denver, CO Milwaukee, WI Raleigh, NC
Detroit, MI Minneapolis, MN Sacramento, CA
US
Houston, TX Nashville, TN Saint Louis, MO
Indianapolis, IN New York, NY San Antonio, TX
Jacksonville, FL Oakland, CA San Diego, CA
Las Vegas, NV Omaha, NE San Francisco, CA
Los Angeles, CA Philadelphia, PA San Jose, CA
Louisville, KY Phoenix, AZ Seattle, WA
Memphis, TN Pittsburgh, PA Tucson, AZ
Miami, FL Portland, OR Washington, DC

Are you a Therapist?

Get Listed Today

Ready to Learn

Doing More Time in School Sleep Health for the New School Year

5 Ways to Raise Better Readers Top 10 List to Improve Your Child's Memory

Recent Issues
July 2020 May 2020 March 2020
magazine cover magazine cover magazine cover

Subscribe Today!

About Privacy Terms Accessibility United States

Psychology Today © 2020 Sussex Publishers, LLC

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-moment-youth/201405/what-is-education-insights-the-worlds-greatest-minds 5/6
7/26/2020 What Is Education? Insights from the World's Greatest Minds | Psychology Today

US

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-moment-youth/201405/what-is-education-insights-the-worlds-greatest-minds 6/6