Here's Your Degree. Now Go Defeat Demagogues.
Amid a rising tide of unreason, critical thinking is more essential than ever.
The following is an adaptation of an address to the University of Michigan’s class of 2016.
The most useful knowledge that you leave here with today has nothing to do with your major. It’s about how to study, cooperate, listen carefully, think critically and resolve conflicts through reason. Those are the most important skills in the working world, and it’s why colleges have always exposed students to challenging and uncomfortable ideas.