Man's consciously lived fragility, individuality and relatedness make the experience of pain, of sickness and of death an integral part of his life. … - Ivan Illich

The issue which I propose for discussion should therefore be clear: how to counter the encroachment of new, electronic devices and systems upon commons that are more subtle and more intimate to our being than either grassland or roads — commons that are at least as valuable as silence. Silence, according to western and eastern tradition alike, is necessary for the emergence of persons. It is taken from us by machines that ape people. We could easily be made increasingly dependent on machines for speaking and for thinking, as we are already dependent on machines for moving.

The quality of a society and of its culture will depend on the status of its unemployed.

A universidade moderna confere o privilégio de discordar apenas aos que foram testados e classificados como potenciais homens de dinheiro ou detentores de poder. Ninguém recebe um centavo dos fundos fiscais para formar-se nas horas vagas ou para educar outros, a não ser que possa comprová-lo com um certificado. As escolas escolhem para os estágios seguintes aqueles que, nos primeiros estágios do jogo, provaram ser bons investimentos para a ordem estabelecida.