Attitude Quote by Noam Chomsky
“Insofar as the universities are free and independent, they will also be "subversive," in the sense that dominant structures of power and their ideological support will be subjected to challenge and critique, a counterpart to attitudes that are fostered in the hard sciences wherever they are taken seriously.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Lecture on University Freedom, Noam Chomsky, 1990
Free, independent universities naturally challenge dominant power structures and foster critical thinking.
In simple terms: Universities that are free tend to question authority.
Key Takeaway
Support academic independence for societal critique.
Themes
freedom
critique
education
Mood
thoughtful
critical
Type
philosophical
political
When to use this quote
- higher education policy
- student activism
- academic research
Key Concepts
subversion
ideology
power dynamics
Questions to Reflect On
- How can universities stay independent?
- What role should universities play in political critique?
A Different Perspective
Independence can be threatened by funding pressures.
![“I wrote an article about the marine landing [in Haiti] right away, but barely mentioned the oil, because my article would come out two months later and I assumed by then, "of course, everybody knows." Nobody knew. There was a news report in the Wall Street Journal, in the petroleum journals, and…” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/dc5/noam-chomsky-42_articles_i-wrote-an-article-about-the-marine-land_13341.jpg)
