Allan Bloom

"There is no real teacher who in practice does not believe in the existence of the soul, or in a magic that acts on it through speech."

"The most important function of the university in an age of reason is to protect reason from itself."

"Education in our times must try to find whatever there is in students that might yearn for completion, and to reconstruct the learning that would enable them autonomously to seek that completion."

"Education is the movement from darkness to light."

"Nothing is more singular about this generation than its addiction to music."

"Shakespeare is practically our only link with the classic and the past. The future of education has much to do with whether we will be able to cling to him or not."

"The failure to read good books both enfeebles the vision and strengthens our most fatal tendency - the belief that the here and now is all there is."

"The way I knew I was right about something was the kids got angry. That's very important: you touch that anger."