Bird Quote by C. S. Lewis
“If they embark on this course the difference between the old and the new education will be an important one. Where the old initiated, the new merely 'conditions'. The old dealt with its pupils as grown birds deal with young birds when they teach them to fly; the new deals with them more as the poultry-keeper deals with young birds- making them thus or thus for purposes of which the birds know nothing. In a word, the old was a kind of propagation-men transmitting manhood to men; the new is merely propaganda.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Abolition of Man by C. S. Lewis, 1943
The quote contrasts traditional education that nurtures independent thought with modern methods that shape students to fit predetermined purposes, reducing them to passive recipients.
In simple terms: Old teaching fosters growth; new teaching shapes for goals.
Key Takeaway
Encourage critical thinking over conformity.
Themes
education
tradition
conformity
propagation
propaganda
Mood
reflective
critical
Type
analytical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- school curricula reform
- teacher training
- student empowerment
- policy design
Key Concepts
pedagogy
social engineering
identity formation
Questions to Reflect On
- How does your teaching method promote autonomy?
- What pressures push schools toward conditioning?
A Different Perspective
The distinction may oversimplify complex educational reforms.
![“[the difference between the old and the new education being] in a word, the old was a kind of propagation-men transmitting manhood to men; the new is merely propaganda.” quote by Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/2fb/anonymous-1_differences_the-difference-between-the-old-and-the-n_2498973.jpg)
