Quote by John Berger
Common-sense is part of the home-made ideology of those who have been deprived of fundamental learning, of those who have been kept ignorant. This ideology is compounded from different sources: items that have survived from religion, items of empirical knowledge, items of protective skepticism, items culled for comfort from the superficial learning that is supplied. But the point is that common-sense can never teach itself, can never advance beyond its own limits, for as soon as the lack of fundamental learning has been made good, all items become questionable and the whole function of common-sense is destroyed. Common-sense can only exist as a category insofar as it can be distinguished from the spirit of inquiry, from philosophy.
Summary
This quote suggests that common-sense is often limited by a lack of comprehensive education and knowledge. It argues that common-sense is a constructed ideology that draws upon various sources, such as religious beliefs and practical experience. However, common-sense is perceived as being unable to progress or expand beyond its own limitations because it lacks the foundational understanding provided by rigorous learning. Once one's lack of fundamental learning has been remedied, the validity of common-sense becomes questionable, and it is contrasted with the spirit of inquiry and philosophy, which constantly seek to challenge and evolve understanding.
Topics
Common Sense
By John Berger
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