--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For what is meant by saying that a…" description: "\"For what is meant by saying that a government ought to educate the people? Why should they be educated? What is the education for? Clearly, to fit the ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/065/herbert-spencer-1765_children_for-what-is-meant-by-saying-that-a-gover_2679427.jpg" --- # For what is meant by saying that a government ought to… ![“For what is meant by saying that a government ought to educate the people? Why should they be educated? What is the education for? Clearly, to fit the people for social life - to make them good citizens. And who is to say what are good citizens? The government: there is no other judge. And who is…” quote by Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/065/herbert-spencer-1765_children_for-what-is-meant-by-saying-that-a-gover_2679427.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/065/herbert-spencer-1765_children_for-what-is-meant-by-saying-that-a-gover_2679427.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/065/herbert-spencer-1765_children_for-what-is-meant-by-saying-that-a-gover_2679427.jpg) > “For what is meant by saying that a government ought to educate the people? Why should they be educated? What is the education for? Clearly, to fit the people for social life - to make them good citizens. And who is to say what are good citizens? The government: there is no other judge. And who is to say how these good citizens may be made? The government: there is no other judge. Hence the proposition is convertible into this - a government ought to mold children into good citizens, using its own discretion in settling what a good citizen is and how the child may be molded into one.” [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Education should shape citizens for societal participation, but defining “good” is subjective and government‑driven. **In simple terms:** Education aims to fit people into society, but who decides the fit? Key Takeaway Question the authority defining citizenship. Themes education citizenship government ethics Mood reflective critical inquisitive Type philosophical political When to use this quote - public schools - civic curricula - policy debates Key Concepts socialization state control individual autonomy Questions to Reflect On - Who should define a good citizen? - Can education be neutral? A Different Perspective The state may impose narrow definitions of citizenship. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Citizenship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/citizenship/) [Compulsory education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compulsory-education/) [Discretion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discretion/) [Good citizen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-citizen/) [Good citizens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-citizens/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) [Social life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-life/) ## Related quotes > [What I'm saying is that government doesn't work for people. There is a perception of it and a reality of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-lightfoot/what-i-m-saying-is-that-government-doesn-t-work-for-people-there-is-a/) [Lori Lightfoot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-lightfoot/) > [Politicians are good at saying how Government must do more, but we must also think carefully about where Government should do less.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-kennedy/politicians-are-good-at-saying-how-government-must-do-more-but-we/) [Charles Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-kennedy/) > [There's an old saying that the government is your partner from birth, but they don't get to come to all the meetings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-malone/there-s-an-old-saying-that-the-government-is-your-partner-from-birth/) [John C. Malone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-malone/) > [I am not saying that government has nothing to offer. Government has an important role in fostering an environment conducive to business creation while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sher-valenzuela/i-am-not-saying-that-government-has-nothing-to-offer-government-has/) [Sher Valenzuela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sher-valenzuela/) > [Patriotic is saying, government, you know, you're not always the solution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-palin/patriotic-is-saying-government-you-know-you-re-not-always-the-solution/) [Sarah Palin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-palin/) > [If there is ever a fascist takeover in America, it will come not in the form of storm troopers kicking down doors but with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/if-there-is-ever-a-fascist-takeover-in-america-it-will-come-not-in/) [Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/) > [I have said it previously and saying it again... my government will work for betterment of all, irrespective of caste or religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yogi-adityanath/i-have-said-it-previously-and-saying-it-again-my-government-will-work/) [Yogi Adityanath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yogi-adityanath/) > [“I, as an anarch, renouncing any bond, any limitation of freedom, also reject compulsory education as nonsense. It was one of the greatest well-springs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernst-junger/i-as-an-anarch-renouncing-any-bond-any-limitation-of-freedom-also-2/) [Ernst Jünger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernst-junger/) > [Who besides a degraded rabble would voluntarily present itself to be graded and classified like meat? No wonder school is compulsory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-taylor-gatto/who-besides-a-degraded-rabble-would-voluntarily-present-itself-to-be/) [John Taylor Gatto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-taylor-gatto/) > [By preventing a free market in education, a handful of social engineers - backed by the industries that profit from compulsory schooling: teacher colleges,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/by-preventing-a-free-market-in-education-a-handful-of-social/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The school of life embodies a compulsory education that no man escapes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-edward-woodberry/the-school-of-life-embodies-a-compulsory-education-that-no-man-escapes/) [George Edward Woodberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-edward-woodberry/) > [“Valda said that if you change your residence every six months you can legally free your children from compulsory education.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cage/valda-said-that-if-you-change-your-residence-every-six-months-you-can/) [John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cage/) > [Learning is not compulsory; it's voluntary... But to survive, we must learn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-edwards-deming/learning-is-not-compulsory-it-s-voluntary-but-to-survive-we-must-learn/) [W. Edwards Deming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-edwards-deming/) > [“I, as an anarch, renouncing any bond, any limitation of freedom, also reject compulsory education as nonsense. It was one of the greatest well-springs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernst-junger/i-as-an-anarch-renouncing-any-bond-any-limitation-of-freedom-also/) [Ernst Jünger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernst-junger/) > [Education: free and compulsory - what a way to learn logic!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-van-dun/education-free-and-compulsory-what-a-way-to-learn-logic/) [Frank Van Dun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-van-dun/) ## More by Herbert Spencer > [During human progress, every science is evolved out of its corresponding art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/during-human-progress-every-science-is-evolved-out-of-its/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [No physiologist who calmly considers the question in connection with the general truths of his science, can long resist the conviction that different parts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/no-physiologist-who-calmly-considers-the-question-in-connection-with/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [Any piece of knowledge which the pupil has himself acquired- any problem which he has himself solved, becomes, by virtue of the conquest, much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/any-piece-of-knowledge-which-the-pupil-has-himself-acquired-any/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [Conservatism defends those coercive arrangements which a still-lingering savageness makes requisite. 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This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/it-cannot-but-happen-that-those-will-survive-whose-functions-happen/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [“Before he can remake his society, his society must make him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/before-he-can-remake-his-society-his-society-must-make-him/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) [Explore all 210 Herbert Spencer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) ## More Children quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/) [Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/) > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. 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