Ashley Montagu
B.Jun 28, 1905-Nov 26, 1999
Anthropologist

Ashley Montagu Hand-Picked Quotes

Ashley Montagu was a prominent figure in anthropology and humanism, making considerable strides in our understanding of human nature and cultural diversity. His work, marked by extensive research, writings, and activism, has significantly influenced our perspectives on these fields.

Montagu challenged common theories about race, ardently arguing against biological racial differences. He emphasized that race is a societal construct rather than a scientific fact. His influential book "Man's Most Dangerous Myth: The Fallacy of Race," dissected the dangers of racism, revealing how it relies on misconceptions about biology. This work paved the way for many scholars and activists, fueling the Civil Rights Movement in the United States.

Aside from his anti-racist efforts, Montagu explored human behavior through anthropological lenses. His research touched on topics like the role of touch in relationships, early childhood development, aggression as a learned behavior, and the impact of culture on identity formation. His findings not only enhanced academic understanding but also informed policies and practices in education and mental health.

Montagu also actively advocated for humanistic values, earning global recognition for his work. His efforts for women's rights, children's rights, education reform, and peace initiatives have helped shape a more inclusive and compassionate society. His legacy continues to challenge preconceived ideas about race and human nature, encouraging empathy and understanding across cultures.

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In the words of Ashley Montagu:
The measure of man's humanity is the extent and intensity of his love for mankind.
One goes through school, college, medical school and one's internship learning little or nothing about goodness but a good deal about success.
The way I change my life is to act as if I am the person I really want to be.
The Eskimos live among ice all their lives but have no single word for ice.
The family unit is the institution for the systematic production of mental illness.
The world is so full of wonderful things we should all, if we were taught how to appreciate it, be far richer than kings.
For the person and for the species love is the form of behavior having the highest survival value.
An intelligence that is not humane is the most dangerous thing in the world .
The scientist believes in proof without certainty, the bigot in certainty without proof.
The evidence indicates that woman is, on the whole, biologically superior to man.
The idea is to die young as late as possible.
The doctor has been taught to be interested not in health but in disease. What the public is taught is that health is the cure for disease.
Human beings are the only creatures who are able to behave irrationally in the name of reason.
Science has proof without any certainty. Creationists have certainty without any proof.
The loving touch, like music, often utters the things that cannot be spoken.
Man is the only 150 pound nonlinear servomechanism that can be wholly reproduced by unskilled labor.
In Victorian times the purpose of life was to develop a personality once and for all and then stand on it.
The ability to play is one of the principal criteria of mental health.
The natural superiority of women is a biological fact, and a socially acknowledged reality.
You certainly can't tell anything from the microscopic structure of the brain whether the person was an idiot or a genius.
Ircumcision, an archaic ritual mutilation that has no justification whatever and no place in a civilized society.
By virtue of being born to humanity, every human being has a right to the development and fulfillment of his potentialities as a human being.
It's by what you do that you communicate to others that you are deeply involved in their well being.
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