--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We in universities are not in the…" description: "\"We in universities are not in the democracy business. What we do, when we're doing it, is teach and learn.\" — Stanley Fish" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/137/stanley-fish-17633_business_we-in-universities-are-not-in-the-democr_60536.jpg" --- # We in universities are not in the democracy business. What… ![“We in universities are not in the democracy business. What we do, when we're doing it, is teach and learn.” quote by Stanley Fish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/137/stanley-fish-17633_business_we-in-universities-are-not-in-the-democr_60536.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/137/stanley-fish-17633_business_we-in-universities-are-not-in-the-democr_60536.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/137/stanley-fish-17633_business_we-in-universities-are-not-in-the-democr_60536.jpg) > “We in universities are not in the democracy business. What we do, when we're doing it, is teach and learn.” [Stanley Fish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-fish/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Universities focus on education rather than direct political governance, emphasizing knowledge exchange over democratic processes. **In simple terms:** Education over politics Key Takeaway Universities teach, they don't run democracies Themes education politics institutional role knowledge exchange democratic theory Mood thoughtful critical reflective Type statement observation When to use this quote - faculty meetings - student seminars - policy debates - public forums - curriculum design Key Concepts higher education civic engagement institutional purpose Practical Applications - curriculum development - public policy analysis Questions to Reflect On - How should universities balance civic education with political neutrality? - What responsibilities do educators have in shaping democratic values? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [University](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/university/) ## Related quotes > [It is not impossible to succeed as a social democracy, where business and free enterprise thrive, and not abandon the disenfranchised, poor, sick, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-belzer/it-is-not-impossible-to-succeed-as-a-social-democracy-where-business/) [Richard Belzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-belzer/) > [When it comes time to teach, teach from your experience. Go out and do, learn from the doing, then teach from the knowing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-mcwilliams/when-it-comes-time-to-teach-teach-from-your-experience-go-out-and-do/) [Peter McWilliams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-mcwilliams/) > [“Homeschooling is a journey not a destination, always seek to improve what you are doing and teach with a mind that is open to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-razzell/homeschooling-is-a-journey-not-a-destination-always-seek-to-improve/) Tina Razzell > [ As you take leave of \[your school\], as you graduate into a new life of the mind, may each of you ask yourself this:… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-f-burns/as-you-take-leave-of-your-school-as-you-graduate-into-a-new-life-of/) Arthur F. Burns > [Teach, learn, listen or get the hell out of the way if you teach try to instill your students to set goals to surpass…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-victor-paskavich/teach-learn-listen-or-get-the-hell-out-of-the-way-if-you-teach-try-to/) [Stanley Victor Paskavich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-victor-paskavich/) > [While we teach, we learn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/while-we-teach-we-learn/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In every human society of which we have any record, there are those who teach and those who learn, for learning a way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/in-every-human-society-of-which-we-have-any-record-there-are-those/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [If you learn you can teach; if you teach you will learn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/if-you-learn-you-can-teach-if-you-teach-you-will-learn/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Knowledge increases in proportion to its use; that is, the more we teach the more we learn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-p-blavatsky/knowledge-increases-in-proportion-to-its-use-that-is-the-more-we/) [H. P. Blavatsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-p-blavatsky/) > [I am a student of whoever I can learn from. I don't see myself in position like I'm above anybody else and I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rashad-evans/i-am-a-student-of-whoever-i-can-learn-from-i-don-t-see-myself-in/) [Rashad Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rashad-evans/) > [People don't understand that, when I was at WCW, if I wasn't wrestling that night, I was down at the Power Plant teaching. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diamond-dallas-page/people-don-t-understand-that-when-i-was-at-wcw-if-i-wasn-t-wrestling/) [Diamond Dallas Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diamond-dallas-page/) > [Don't hope that someone come and teach you something. You have to learn Every thing by your self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dhaval/don-t-hope-that-someone-come-and-teach-you-something-you-have-to/) [Dhaval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dhaval/) > [As you teach, you learn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jewish-proverb/as-you-teach-you-learn/) Jewish Proverb > [When you teach, you learn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-suzman/when-you-teach-you-learn/) [Helen Suzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-suzman/) > [I spent all my time at school in the library. Bad teachers can teach you to learn on your own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-colbert/i-spent-all-my-time-at-school-in-the-library-bad-teachers-can-teach/) [Gregory Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-colbert/) ## More by Stanley Fish > [“My God, my God, thou art a direct God, may I not say a literal God, a God that wouldst be understood literally and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-fish/my-god-my-god-thou-art-a-direct-god-may-i-not-say-a-literal-god-a-god/) [Stanley Fish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-fish/) > [Freedom of speech is not an academic value. Accuracy of speech is an academic value; completeness of speech is an academic value; relevance of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-fish/freedom-of-speech-is-not-an-academic-value-accuracy-of-speech-is-an/) [Stanley Fish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-fish/) > [“Justification, after all, confers value on an activity from a perspective outside its performance. An activity that cannot be justified is an activity that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-fish/justification-after-all-confers-value-on-an-activity-from-a/) [Stanley Fish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-fish/) > [Belief and knowledge are considered to be two different things. 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