Sidney Hook
Sidney Hook
Sidney Hookwas an American philosopher of the Pragmatist school known for his contributions to the philosophy of history, the philosophy of education, political theory, and ethics. After embracing Communism in his youth, Hook was later known for his criticisms of fascism and Marxism–Leninism. A pragmatic social democrat, Hook sometimes cooperated with conservatives, particularly in opposing Communism. After World War II, he argued that members of such groups as the Communist Party USA and other Leninist conspiracies could ethically be barred...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionPhilosopher
Date of Birth20 December 1902
CountryUnited States of America
One of the central assumptions of the concept of democracy, perhaps its most central assumption, is that by and large human beings are better judges of their own interests.... The operating maxim of the democratic ideology is, "Whoever wears the shoe knows best where it pinches.
Religious tolerance has developed more as a consequence of the impotence of religions to impose their dogmas on each other than as a consequence of spiritual humility in the quest for understanding first and last things.
No one who accepts the sovereignty of truth can be a foot soldier in a party or movement. He will always find himself out of step.
Stupidity is sometimes the greatest of historical forces.
The next time anyone asks you "What is Bertrand Russell's philosophy?" the correct answer is "What year, please?"
Religious freedom in an open society has the best prospects of flourishing to the extent that it expresses itself as freedom of religious inquiry.
To deny me the right to err is therefore to deny me the right to believe.
Before impugning an opponent's motives, even when they legitimately may be impugned, answer his arguments.
Nonetheless, it still remains true that as a set of cognitive beliefs, religious doctrines constitute a speculative hypothesis of an extremely low order of probability.
In contrast to totalitarianism, democracy can face and live with the truth about itself.
Fear of death has been the greatest ally of tyranny past and present.
Students rarely disappoint teachers who assure them in advance that they are doomed to failure.
Noam Chomsky skittles and skithers all over the political landscape to distract the reader’s attention from the plain truth.
To serve the public interest is not the same as being a servant of public opinion.