Ivan Illich
We can only live the changes we wish to see: we cannot think our way to humanity. Every one of us, every group, must become the model of that which we desire to create. We must break the obsolete social and economic systems that divide the world between the over-privileged and the under-privileged. Each of us, whether government leader or protester, business executive or worker, professor or student, share a common guilt. We have failed…through our lack of responsible awareness…and thus added to suffering around the world.
All of us are cripples—some physically, some mentally, some emotionally. We must, therefore, strive cooperatively to create a new world. There is no time left for destruction, for hatred, for anger. We must build, in hope and joy and celebration.
[via Bruderhof]
3 responses to “Ivan Illich”
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amen!
What a great quote by Illich. Does anyone know which book/essay this comes from? I’ve read most of Illich’s work and although I can’t remember this passage – it definitely sounds ‘Illichian’..Illich was totally outside of his time. Now that he has left us I notice there are a few books starting to come out. excellent.
“In a consumer society there are inevitably two kinds of slaves; the prisoners of addiction and the prisoners of envy” (Illich, 1973, “Tools for Conviviality”)