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June 26, 1964
I am not talking about mere knowledge, for knowledge as such is
meaningless. The vital function of education is to loarn how'to learn,
to learn how to respond to now edvencos. And this is perhaps even more
true in the sociel and political torld than it is in the scicn tific.
What this institution, and its sister universitics throughout the
froe vorld, can contribute is a flow of men and vomen who understand
that freedom requires the ability to donl vith problems rationally and
flexibly.
This cannot como from the frozen dictates of doctrine. Rather;
it nust come from the attitudes of curiosity about changing reality
which a University fosters.
"The destiny of any nation, nt any given time," vrote Goethc, "depends
on the opinions of its young men, under 25." In this changing world,
his words are increasingly true. Today, youth is not only destiny and
the future. To an accolernting extent youth is the present.
In overy Latin American country, a majority of the population is under
25. In Indic, 6 out of 10 are under 25. In dozens of the young nations,
the clossroom is only a fou short years away from the Presidential palace.
The older lenders of ostablished stotes cannot hope to sycak effective-
ly to the young, impatient, rebollious mon of the divcloping states. It
is up to the coming generation in the West to clasp hands acrues the world
and show its contemporzries in the new nations that we share a common cause
and a common gonl.
Thet is why President Konnedy's Ponce Corps has had such success in
establishing bonds of cooperation and hope, and why your orm Peace Corps,
the Deutsche Entwicklungsdienst, is such = welcome dcvelopment. They
demonstrate anong our young people a recegnition of the responsibilities
of freedon. It is the advance of civilization, ofter all, which is the
ultimcte purpose of education. The Greeks described education as the
excellence which makes a person a perfect citizen -- knowing both how
to rule and how to be ruled. And the Crooks gave us en extrcordinary
example of the meaning of those :/ords.
As empires go, Athens was a tiny city with a small povulation.
But its political thought, its droma, its poetry, and its art have
lived on for centuries. Unlike so many lost culturos, the slory of
Greece is relevant not only to archaeologists and scholars, but to the
continued enrichment of civilization todny.
The underlying reason was the importance siven to the individual
and to his responsibility for individunl and socinl freedom. Such res-
ponsibility was not c motter of choice in ithens; it uns a motter of
duty. One could no more be a passive citizen than one could be a free
slave.
"Our ordinary citizens," said Pericles in his funeral orntion,
"though occupied with the pursuits of industry, are still fair judges of
public matters. unlike any othor nation (we regard) him who takos no
part in these dutics not is unambitious but as uscless.
-8-
Document source description
Address by Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy on President John F. Kennedy.
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"ocrText": "89\nPLB (f)\n7\nJune 26, 1964\nI am not talking about mere knowledge, for knowledge as such is\nmeaningless. The vital function of education is to loarn how'to learn,\nto learn how to respond to now edvencos. And this is perhaps even more\ntrue in the sociel and political torld than it is in the scicn tific.\nWhat this institution, and its sister universitics throughout the\nfroe vorld, can contribute is a flow of men and vomen who understand\nthat freedom requires the ability to donl vith problems rationally and\nflexibly.\nThis cannot como from the frozen dictates of doctrine. Rather;\nit nust come from the attitudes of curiosity about changing reality\nwhich a University fosters.\n\"The destiny of any nation, nt any given time,\" vrote Goethc, \"depends\non the opinions of its young men, under 25.\" In this changing world,\nhis words are increasingly true. Today, youth is not only destiny and\nthe future. To an accolernting extent youth is the present.\nIn overy Latin American country, a majority of the population is under\n25. In Indic, 6 out of 10 are under 25. In dozens of the young nations,\nthe clossroom is only a fou short years away from the Presidential palace.\nThe older lenders of ostablished stotes cannot hope to sycak effective-\nly to the young, impatient, rebollious mon of the divcloping states. It\nis up to the coming generation in the West to clasp hands acrues the world\nand show its contemporzries in the new nations that we share a common cause\nand a common gonl.\nThet is why President Konnedy's Ponce Corps has had such success in\nestablishing bonds of cooperation and hope, and why your orm Peace Corps,\nthe Deutsche Entwicklungsdienst, is such = welcome dcvelopment. They\ndemonstrate anong our young people a recegnition of the responsibilities\nof freedon. It is the advance of civilization, ofter all, which is the\nultimcte purpose of education. The Greeks described education as the\nexcellence which makes a person a perfect citizen -- knowing both how\nto rule and how to be ruled. And the Crooks gave us en extrcordinary\nexample of the meaning of those :/ords.\nAs empires go, Athens was a tiny city with a small povulation.\nBut its political thought, its droma, its poetry, and its art have\nlived on for centuries. Unlike so many lost culturos, the slory of\nGreece is relevant not only to archaeologists and scholars, but to the\ncontinued enrichment of civilization todny.\nThe underlying reason was the importance siven to the individual\nand to his responsibility for individunl and socinl freedom. Such res-\nponsibility was not c motter of choice in ithens; it uns a motter of\nduty. One could no more be a passive citizen than one could be a free\nslave.\n\"Our ordinary citizens,\" said Pericles in his funeral orntion,\n\"though occupied with the pursuits of industry, are still fair judges of\npublic matters. unlike any othor nation (we regard) him who takos no\npart in these dutics not is unambitious but as uscless.\n-8-"
}