What we want is to see the child in pursuit of knowledge, and not knowledge in pursuit of the child.
George Bernard ShawRead
Censorship ends in logical completeness when nobody is allowed to read any books except the books that nobody reads.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Censorship restricts knowledge and literature until only unimportant works are accessible.
This quote by George Bernard Shaw underscores the absurdity of censorship, suggesting that when society limits access to literature, it ultimately leads to a situation where only trivial or ignored books are available. It reflects a critique of censorship's impact on intellectual freedom, arguing that true discourse and thought require a diversity of perspectives, and that its absence results in the loss of meaningful knowledge and enlightenment.
Themes
CensorshipKnowledgeFreedomLiteratureIntellectualThought
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in discussions about the importance of free speech during a literature class.
More from George Bernard Shaw
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Forgive him, for he believes that the customs of his tribe are the laws of nature!
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Those who talk most about the blessings of marriage and the constancy of its vows are the very people who declare that if the chain were broken and the prisoners left free to choose, the whole social fabric would fly asunder. You cannot have the argument both ways. If the prisoner is happy, why lock him in? If he is not, why pretend that he is?
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Treat a friend as a person who may someday become your enemy; an enemy as a person who may someday become your friend.
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The happiness of credulity is a cheap and dangerous quality.
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