Monday, May 3, 2010

Not ourselves prophets


...[A] concealing transfer of privileged knowledge is the unchangeable work of teachers: being mere interpreters of interpreters, not ourselves prophets, we are authorized only by the greatness that has preceded us, from which we make knowledge our own.
-Philip Rieff, Fellow Teachers, 1973

1 comment:

  1. Minus the context, I'm not sure how to take "concealing transfer of privileged knowledge." It sounds like a jab at gnostic-like teachers, but the second line doesn't seem to develop it in that direction. What's your take?

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