Education makes us the human beings we are. It has major impacts on economic development, on social equity, gender equity. In all kinds of ways, our lives are transformed by education and security. Even if it had not one iota of effect [on] security, it would still remain in my judgment the biggest priority in the world.
Amartya SenThe increasing tendency towards seeing people in terms of one dominant โidentityโ (โthis is your duty as an Americanโ, โyou must commit these acts as a Muslimโ, or โas a Chinese you should give priority to this national engagementโ) is not only an imposition of an external and arbitrary priority, but also the denial of an important liberty of a person who can decide on their respective loyalties to different groups (to all of which he or she belongs).
Amartya SenThereยs a clear and strong connection between fertility reduction and womenยs literacy and empowerment, including womenยs gainful employment. If you look at the more than 300 districts of India, the strongest influences in explaining fertility variations are womenยs literacy and gainful economic employment.
Amartya SenThere is considerable evidence that women's education and literacy tend to reduce the mortality rates of children
Amartya SenPeople's identities as Indians, as Asians, or as members of the human race, seemed to give way - quite suddenly - to sectarian identification with Hindu, Muslim, or Sikh communities.
Amartya SenI'm very skeptical of the amount of money that goes into military expenditure, not just in the poor countries [but] also in the rich. I think it's one of the most massive wastes in the world, but education is [at the] other end. It's the bearer of the greatest fruits that mankind has ever known.
Amartya SenThe identity of just one thing, the "clash of civilization" view that you're a Muslim or a Hindu or a Buddhist or a Christian, I think that's such a limited way of seeing humanity, and schools have the opportunity to bring out the fact that we have hundreds of identities. We have our national identity. We have our cultural identity, linguistic identity, religious identity. Yes, cultural identity, professional identity, all kinds of ways.
Amartya Sen