Educated people Quote by Francis Fukuyama
““The effect of education on political attitudes is complicated, for democratic society. The self-professed aim of modern education is to "liberate" people from prejudices and traditional forms of authority. Educated people are said not to obey authority blindly, but rather learn to think for themselves. Even if this doesn't happen on a mass basis, people can be taught to see their own self-interest more clearly, and over a longer time horizon. Education also makes people demand more of themselves and for themselves; in other words, they acquire a certain sense of dignity which they want to have respected by their fellow citizens and by the state. In a traditional peasant society, it is possible for a local landlord (or, for that matter, a communist commissar) to recruit peasants to kill other peasants and dispossess them of their land. They do so not because it is in their interest, but because they are used to obeying authority. Urban professionals in developed countries, on the other hand, can be recruited to a lot of nutty causes like liquid diets and marathon running, but they tend not to volunteer for private armies or death squads simply because someone in a uniform tells them to do so””
About This Quote
Source Book: The End of History and the Last Man, 1992
Education shapes political attitudes by fostering critical thinking, self‑interest awareness, and dignity, but its impact varies across societies.
In simple terms: Education encourages independent thought and dignity, yet effects differ.
Promote critical thinking and civic dignity.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- schools
- policy reform
- community workshops
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How can education be paired with civic institutions for better outcomes?
- What role does cultural context play in political education?
Education alone cannot guarantee democratic obedience.