The object of education

In the final speech I made as student council president, I laid out a philosophy on education that has remained remarkably consistent throughout my life:

I believe that education is a discipline.

The object of this discipline is to learn how to think.

Once we have mastered this we can use it to learn a vocation, appreciate art, or read a book.

Education simply enables us to appreciate the ever-changing drama fashioned of God’s own hand, life itself.

Education continues when we leave the classroom. Our associations with friends, our participation in clubs all increase our store of knowledge. In fact, we never stop learning until we die.

My fellow officers and I just hope that you will become aware of the purpose of education and follow its basic tenets, questioning and thinking, for the rest of your life.

Source: What It Takes: Lessons in the Pursuit of Excellence by Stephen A. Schwarzman