Ivan Illich
Austrian philosopher and theologian (1926-2002) · Austria · On the map · Academics · Died at 76
Ivan Dominic Illich was an Austrian Catholic priest, theologian, philosopher, and social critic. His 1971 book Deschooling Society criticises modern society's institutional approach to education, an approach that he argued demotivates and alienates individuals from the process of learning.
Ivan Illich is read about 621 times a day, in 41 languages.
A typical day, 30 days to 3 November 2026
The middle day of the days counted, so one week of news cannot move it. The line under it is the last 408 days, one point a day.
Something wrong?People around Ivan
Close ties
Hilde Holger Taught Ivan
Paulo Freire Influenced Ivan
Emmanuel Levinas Influenced Ivan
René Guénon Influenced Ivan
Frithjof Schuon Influenced Ivan
André Gorz Influenced by Ivan
Bob Black Influenced by Ivan
John Zerzan Influenced by Ivan- Jean-Pierre Dupuy Influenced by Ivan
Olivier Rey Influenced by Ivan
Wolfgang Sachs Influenced by Ivan- Everett Reimer Influenced by Ivan
Jorge Riechmann Influenced by Ivan
Also in Deutsch
Media & music
Photos 1
Awards
About this person
His 1975 book Medical Nemesis, importing to the sociology of medicine the concept of medical harm, in which he argues that industrialised society impairs quality of life through processes such as overmedicalisation, the pathologisation of normal conditions, and increased dependency on medical institutions. Illich called himself "an errant pilgrim."
