We live increasingly in a world of accelerating change, intensifying complexity, and ever-increasing danger. We
are threatened now not simply by dangers abroad but by our own government at home. We must resist the
view that might makes right. We must not take the Bill of Rights for granted. We must reject simplistic messages
promoted by the mass media. We must learn to see the world afresh from many points of view, not simply from
our own. We must become comfortable routinely rethinking our decisions and reevaluating our priorities. We must
learn how to learn from others and abandon the view that we have all the answers. We must take command of our
minds, work actively for justice in the world, and focus on values that are universal, values we can share with all
rational people of good will. We must cultivate intellectual humility, integrity, perseverance, and empathy in
ourselves, and in our students. Disciplined and skilled thinking are no longer luxuries but necessities, no longer
add-ons for enrichment programs, but core requirements for every student in every subject on every day.
Richard Paul and Linda Elder, 2004