Children Quote by Daniel C. Dennett
““If you want to teach your children that they are the tools of God, you had better not teach them that they are God's rifles, or we will have to stand firmly opposed to you: your doctrine has no glory, no special rights, no intrinsic and inalienable merit. If you insist on teaching your children false-hoods—that the Earth is flat, that "Man" is not a product of evolution by natural selection—then you must expect, at the very least, that those of us who have freedom of speech will feel free to describe your teachings as the spreading of falsehoods, and will attempt to demonstrate this to your children at our earliest opportunity. Our future well-being—the well-being of all of us on the planet—depends on the education of our descendants.””
About This Quote
Source Book: From Bacteria to Bach and Back, Daniel C. Dennett, 2017
He argues that teaching children falsehoods undermines rational discourse and societal progress, urging truth‑based education for the common good.
In simple terms: Teaching false ideas harms society; truth is essential.
Key Takeaway
Promote evidence‑based learning.
Themes
education
truth
society
critical thinking
future generations
Mood
concerned
determined
Type
philosophical
ethical
When to use this quote
- parenting
- school curricula
- public debate
- media literacy
Key Concepts
epistemology
science communication
secularism
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we balance free speech with combating misinformation?
- What responsibilities do educators have to truth?
A Different Perspective
Truth can conflict with deeply held beliefs, causing social friction.
![“I think we should stop treating ["God works in mysterious ways"] as any kind of wisdom and recognize it as the transparently defensive propaganda that it is. A positive response might be, "Oh good! I love a mystery. Let's see if we can solve this one, too. Do you have any ideas?” quote by Daniel C. Dennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/33a/daniel-c-dennett-17655_apologetics_i-think-we-should-stop-treating-god-work_310612.jpg)
