Who said this & in what context ?

[drochit]

Who is credited with saying 'it is important that students bring a certain ragamuffin, barefoot, irreverence to their studies; they are not here to worship what is known, but to question it'.

[j2buttonsw]

It was Jacob Jacobsen talking about the Russian Jakob.

[drochit]

Jacob Jacobsen of the anglepoise lamp fame ? I think not.

[Kit]

Jacob Bronowski, "The Ascent of Man"

[drochit]

I can't find any evidence to suggest that it was Jacob Bronowski either. Can you provide a reference ?

[j2buttonsw]

I want to change my answer: it was Jacob Bronowski http://www.quoteworld.org/browse.php?thetext=wise,
wisdom,know&page=16 (sorry about any ensuing pop-ups).

[Squirrel]

OK, we see what you are doing, drochit. Next, you'll be asking who invented Koveralls, the electric shaver and the nail making machine.

[drochit]

Squirrel I don't need to ask those questions because I know that Simon, son of Jacob Davis invented Koveralls in 1912. Also that the electric shaver was invented by Jacob Schick in the 1920s. However, I also know that Jacob Perkins has been incorrectly credited with inventing the nail making machine in 1795 when the invention was actually made by Seth Boyden in 1780.

[drochit]

J2buttonsw & Kit I've checked your reference to Jacob Bronowski and have concluded that this quote has been incorrectly accredited to him. I now know who the real author was after a lot of research. I'll give you both another stab at getting the correct source and will post the correct answer on Monday. Just call it a form of Jacobs water torture and enjoy the spirit of the chase.

[templeman]

Well I suppose that it had to be a Jacob. The quote is from the teachings of Jacob Chanowski (1908 - 1974).

[Squirrel]

What can I say? You know your Jacobs!

[Kit]

"The symbol of the University is the iron statue outside the Rathskeller of a barefoot goosegirl that every student kisses at graduation. The University is a Mecca to which students come with something less than perfect faith. It is important that students bring a certain ragamuffin, barefoot irreverence to their studies; they are not here to worship what is known but to question it." (Bronowski, p. 360)

[j2buttonsw]

It was Jacob Jacobsen talking about the Irish/German Jacob O'Jacob von Jakob.

[drochit]

Templeman is correct. It was Jacob Chanowski.
Bronowski has been incorrectly credited with the saying mainly, I believe, because he included a reference to it in one of his many books. I haven't read the book in question but I'd certainly be interested to see page 360 on which he is reputed to have printed most of his quotable quotes. Must be one huge page.
Thanks to all the contributors, you've certainly had me doing a lot of checking.

[Kit]

You at least owe us a reference, Drochit. I found you a page number and, as requested, a context, even if you think it's spurious - but the most I've ever found on Jacob Chanowski's version of the quote is a vague "On Belief". Proof, please!

[drochit]

Sorry Kit, my books are 1500 miles away.
The best I can suggest is for you to google 'Jacob Chanowski' and you'll find lots of references.
If you really want more then I'll get someone to send me an extract from my books and post the answer in another question. It'll take about 3 or 4 weeks.
In the meantime keep smiling.

[Kit]

Already done it, Drochit - and the most detail I've found is "On belief"... Finding Bronowski locally should take less time so I'll do that.

[Kit]

Well, it seems that the latest edition of the New Penguin Dictionary of Modern Quotations agrees with me (p53 in case you'd like to check) - ready to admit that it was Bronowski yet? :)