Leo Strauss Quotes

The philosophical spirit is not satisfied to simply accept what it is told, no matter how much prestige the teller seems to have. This is true even if the teller is a god.

If we would guide by the light of reason we must let our minds be bold.

I realized there are no lobbyists for critical thinking, and I realized there are no lobbyists for bravery.

I shall never be a heretic; I may err in dispute, but I do not wish to decide anything finally; on the other hand, I am not bound by the opinions of men.

Liberalism is an attitude rather than a set of dogmas - an attitude that insists upon questioning all plausible and self-evident propositions, seeking not to reject them but to find out what evidence there is to support them rather than their possible alternatives.

The Enlightenment ideal, which all universities claim to endorse, is that everyone should think for themselves.

People don't care to read what they already think or what any people think - they know all that well enough. They want to know what they ought to think.

Neither acquiescence in skepticism nor acquiescence in dogma is what education should produce.

To Dogmatism the Spirit of Inquiry is the same as the Spirit of Evil.

Critical thinking is to a liberal education as faith is to religion. ... the converse was true also - faith is to a liberal education as critical thinking is to religion, irrelevant and even damaging.

A mind that doesn't question its judgements, makes the world very small and dangerous.

No man who worships education has got the best out of education... Without a gentle contempt for education no man's education is complete.

Think your own thoughts.

You want to come up with your own points of view first and then test them against what you see.

Human beings never think for themselves; they find it too uncomfortable. For the most part, members of our species simply repeat what they are told - and become upset if they are exposed to any different view.

The truth is found when men are free to pursue it.

He who dares not reason, is a slave.

The main battle is to make people realise that doubt is important. Doubt is good. The 'don't know' answer sometimes is the box you should tick, and it's about not being scared about that fact. Even the greatest minds don't know everything.

If one knows only what one is told, one does not know enough to be able to arrive at a well-balanced decision.

A man should be just cultured enough to be able to look with suspicion upon culture at first, not second hand.

Every man must have the right fearlessly to think independently and express his opinion about what he knows, what he has personally thought about and experienced, and not merely to express with slightly different variations the opinion which has been inculcated in him.

What is important is that one utilizes one's intellect and not to be 100 percent sure about one's convictions. One should always leave room for doubt.

The shortest and surest way of arriving at real knowledge is to unlearn the lessons we have been taught, to mount the first principles, and take nobody's word about them.

The boldness of asking deep questions may require unforeseen flexibility if we are to accept the answers.

Just think of the tragedy of teaching children not to doubt.