THE PARADOX OF EDUCATION IS PRECISELY THIS—THAT AS ONE BEGINS TO BECOME CONSCIOUS ONE BEGINS TO EXAMINE THE SOCIETY IN WHICH HE IS BEING EDUCATED. THE PURPOSE OF EDUCATION, FINALLY, IS TO CREATE IN A PERSON THE ABILITY TO LOOK AT THE WORLD FOR HIMSELF, TO MAKE HIS OWN DECISIONS, TO SAY TO HIMSELF THIS IS BLACK OR THIS IS WHITE, TO DECIDE FOR HIMSELF WHETHER THERE IS A GOD IN HEAVEN OR NOT. TO ASK QUESTIONS OF THE UNIVERSE, AND THEN LEARN TO LIVE WITH THOSE QUESTIONS, IS THE WAY HE ACHIEVES HIS OWN IDENTITY. BUT NO SOCIETY IS REALLY ANXIOUS TO HAVE THAT KIND OF PERSON AROUND. WHAT SOCIETIES REALLY, IDEALLY, WANT IS A CITIZENRY WHICH WILL SIMPLY OBEY THE RULES OF SOCIETY. IF A SOCIETY SUCCEEDS IN THIS, THAT SOCIETY IS ABOUT TO PERISH. THE OBLIGATION OF ANYONE WHO THINKS OF HIMSELF AS RESPONSIBLE IS TO EXAMINE SOCIETY AND TRY TO CHANGE IT AND TO FIGHT IT—AT NO MATTER WHAT RISK.

—James Baldwin

AGAINST THE URGENCY OF PEOPLE DYING IN THE STREETS, WHAT IN GOD’S NAME IS THE POINT OF CULTURAL STUDIES? WHAT IS THE POINT OF THE STUDY OF REPRESENTATIONS, IF THERE IS NO RESPONSE TO THE QUESTION OF WHAT YOU SAY TO SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO KNOW IF THEY SHOULD TAKE A DRUG AND IF THAT MEANS THEY’LL DIE TWO DAYS LATER OR A FEW MONTHS EARLIER? AT THAT POINT, ITHINK ANYBODY WHO IS INTO CULTURAL STUDIES SERIOUSLY AS AN INTELLECTUAL PRACTICE, MUST FEEL, ON THEIR PULSE, ITS EPHEMERALITY, ITS INSUBSTANTIALITY, HOW LITTLE IT REGISTERS, HOW LITTLE WE’VE BEEN ABLE TO CHANGE ANYTHING OR GET ANYBODY TO DO ANYTHING. IF YOU DON’T FEEL THAT AS ONE TENSION IN THE WORK THAT YOU ARE DOING, THEORY HAS LET YOU OFF THE HOOK.

—Stuart Hall