Aaron Swartz Quotes & Sayings

“Information is power. But like all power, there are those who want to keep it for themselves.”

“Real education is about genuine understanding and the ability to figure things out on your own; not about making sure every 7th grader has memorized all the facts some bureaucrats have put in the 7th grade curriculum.”

“Without the ability to talk about government power, there's no way for citizens to make sure this power isn't being misused.”

“Being around some of the bright lights of the technology world and having them expect great things helps you sit down and do it seriously.”

“Seriously, who really cares how long the Nile river is, or who was the first to discover cheese? How is memorizing that ever going to help anyone? Instead, we need to give kids projects that allow them to exercise their minds and discover things for themselves.”

“Big stories need human stakes.”

“We need to download scientific journals and upload them to file-sharing networks.”

“Assume nobody else has any idea what they're doing, either.”

“At the end of the day, we have an economy that works for the rich by cheating the poor, and unequal schools are the result of that, not the cause.”

“Large corporations, of course, are blinded by greed. The laws under which they operate require it - their shareholders would revolt at anything less.”