--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Thomas Jefferson. . . knew what schools…" description: "\"“Thomas Jefferson. . . knew what schools were for--to ensure that citizens would know when and how to protect their liberty. . . It would not have come..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27c/neil-postman-1598_educational-philosop_thomas-jefferson-knew-what-schools-were_743828.jpg" --- # Thomas Jefferson. . . knew what schools were for--to… ![“Thomas Jefferson. . . knew what schools were for--to ensure that citizens would know when and how to protect their liberty. . . It would not have come easily to the mind of such a man, as it does to political leaders today, that the young should be taught to read exclusively for the purpose of…” quote by Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27c/neil-postman-1598_educational-philosop_thomas-jefferson-knew-what-schools-were_743828.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27c/neil-postman-1598_educational-philosop_thomas-jefferson-knew-what-schools-were_743828.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27c/neil-postman-1598_educational-philosop_thomas-jefferson-knew-what-schools-were_743828.jpg) > ““Thomas Jefferson. . . knew what schools were for--to ensure that citizens would know when and how to protect their liberty. . . It would not have come easily to the mind of such a man, as it does to political leaders today, that the young should be taught to read exclusively for the purpose of increasing their economic productivity.”” [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) ## 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 foster informed citizens capable of defending liberty, not just produce workers for the economy. **In simple terms:** Schools must teach civic awareness, not only job skills. Key Takeaway Prioritize civic education. Themes education citizenship liberty economics Mood thoughtful concerned Type analytical critical. When to use this quote - curriculum design - teacher training - public policy - parental involvement Key Concepts democracy critical thinking civic responsibility Questions to Reflect On - How can schools balance civic and economic goals? - What civic skills are most needed today? A Different Perspective Economic focus can crowd out civic learning. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Educational-philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/educational-philosophy/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Jefferson Knew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jefferson-knew-5801661/) [Knew Schools](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knew-schools-5801662/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty/) [Political Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-leader/) [Political leaders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-leaders/) [Productivity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/productivity/) [Protect Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protect-liberty-775203/) [Taught Read](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taught-read-1049952/) [Thomas jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thomas-jefferson/) [Thomas-jefferson-education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thomas-jefferson-education-190579/) ## Related quotes > [“Public education does not serve a public. It creates a public. And in creating the right kind of public, the schools contribute toward strengthening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/public-education-does-not-serve-a-public-it-creates-a-public-and-in/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [“Books are better than television, the internet, or the computer for educating and maintaining freedom. Books matter because they state ideas and then attempt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-demille/books-are-better-than-television-the-internet-or-the-computer-for/) [Oliver DeMille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-demille/) > [The moral and constitutional obligations of our representatives in Washington are to protect our liberty, not coddle the world, precipitating no-win wars, while bringing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/the-moral-and-constitutional-obligations-of-our-representatives-in/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [There's no evidence that I'm aware of that guns protect liberty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/there-s-no-evidence-that-i-m-aware-of-that-guns-protect-liberty/) [Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/) > [“We must endure the ignorant to protect the liberty of the majority.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-d-best/we-must-endure-the-ignorant-to-protect-the-liberty-of-the-majority/) [James D. Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-d-best/) > [“Experience should teach us to be most on our guard to protect liberty when the government's purposes are beneficent. Men born to freedom are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-d-brandeis/experience-should-teach-us-to-be-most-on-our-guard-to-protect-liberty-2/) [Louis D. Brandeis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-d-brandeis/) > [Experience teaches us to be most on our guard to protect liberty when the government's purposes are beneficent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-d-brandeis/experience-teaches-us-to-be-most-on-our-guard-to-protect-liberty-when/) [Louis D. Brandeis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-d-brandeis/) > [To the American people I say, awaken to what is happening. It is the duty of each citizen to be vigilant, to protect liberty,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-byrd/to-the-american-people-i-say-awaken-to-what-is-happening-it-is-the/) [Robert Byrd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-byrd/) > [The obligations of our representatives in Washington are to protect our liberty, not coddle the world, precipitating no-win wars, while bringing bankruptcy and economic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/the-obligations-of-our-representatives-in-washington-are-to-protect/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [If you can’t protect life, then how can you protect liberty?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/if-you-can-t-protect-life-then-how-can-you-protect-liberty/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [We can only protect liberty by making it relevant to the modern world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/we-can-only-protect-liberty-by-making-it-relevant-to-the-modern-world/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) > [A government that intended to protect the liberty of the people would not disarm them. A government planning the opposite most certainly and logically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charley-reese/a-government-that-intended-to-protect-the-liberty-of-the-people-would/) [Charley Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charley-reese/) > [Experience should teach us to be most on our guard to protect liberty when the Government's purposes are beneficent. Men born to freedom are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-d-brandeis/experience-should-teach-us-to-be-most-on-our-guard-to-protect-liberty/) [Louis D. Brandeis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-d-brandeis/) > [Our goal is to reaffirm that government by the people, speaking through their elected representatives, is the best way to keep us free and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-mcmorris-rodgers/our-goal-is-to-reaffirm-that-government-by-the-people-speaking/) [Cathy McMorris Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-mcmorris-rodgers/) > [I hope the families of those who perished on the U.S.S. Oklahoma will find comfort and peace in knowing their loved ones' service in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-hyde-smith/i-hope-the-families-of-those-who-perished-on-the-u-s-s-oklahoma-will/) [Cindy Hyde-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-hyde-smith/) ## More by Neil Postman > [“to whom will the technology give greater power and freedom? And whose power and freedom will be reduced by it?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/to-whom-will-the-technology-give-greater-power-and-freedom-and-whose/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [Cyberspace' is a metaphorical idea which is supposed to be the space where your consciousness is located when you're using computer technology on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/cyberspace-is-a-metaphorical-idea-which-is-supposed-to-be-the-space/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [Textbooks, it seems to me, are enemies of education, instruments for promoting dogmatism and trivial learning. They may save the teacher some trouble, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/textbooks-it-seems-to-me-are-enemies-of-education-instruments-for/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [The whole problem with news on television comes down to this: all the words uttered in an hour of news coverage could be printed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/the-whole-problem-with-news-on-television-comes-down-to-this-all-the/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [“There being no international copyright laws, “pirated” editions abounded, with no complaint from the public, or much from authors, who were lionized.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/there-being-no-international-copyright-laws-pirated-editions-abounded/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [“The television commercial is not at all about the character of products to be consumed. It is about the character of the consumers of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/the-television-commercial-is-not-at-all-about-the-character-of/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [“Many decisions about the form and content of news programs are made on the basis of information about the viewer, the purpose of which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/many-decisions-about-the-form-and-content-of-news-programs-are-made/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [“the world we live in is very nearly incomprehensible to most of us. There is almost no fact, whether actual or imagined, that will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/the-world-we-live-in-is-very-nearly-incomprehensible-to-most-of-us/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [“Tüketici psikodramalarla yatıştırılan bir hastadır.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/t-ketici-psikodramalarla-yat-t-r-lan-bir-hastad-r/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [“Huxley grasped, as Orwell did not, that it is not necessary to conceal anything from a public insensible to contradiction and narcotized by technological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/huxley-grasped-as-orwell-did-not-that-it-is-not-necessary-to-conceal/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [“The written word is assumed to have been reflected upon and revised by its author,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/the-written-word-is-assumed-to-have-been-reflected-upon-and-revised/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [We do not measure a culture by its output of undisguised trivialities but by what it claims as significant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/we-do-not-measure-a-culture-by-its-output-of-undisguised-trivialities/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [“In America, the least amusing people are its professional entertainers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/in-america-the-least-amusing-people-are-its-professional-entertainers/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [“We were keeping our eye on 1984. When the year came and the prophecy didn't, thoughtful Americans sang softly in praise of themselves. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/we-were-keeping-our-eye-on-1984-when-the-year-came-and-the-prophecy/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [“The question is not, Does or doesn't public schooling create a public? The question is, What kind of public does it create? A conglomerate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/the-question-is-not-does-or-doesn-t-public-schooling-create-a-public/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) [Explore all 220 Neil Postman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) ## More Educational-philosophy quotes > [“There is an overflowing grace, for every great work.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/there-is-an-overflowing-grace-for-every-great-work/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“If a free people is going to be reproduced, it will require watering and revivifying and owning anew older traditions and awaking the curiosity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-sasse/if-a-free-people-is-going-to-be-reproduced-it-will-require-watering/) [Ben Sasse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-sasse/) > [“It is a tragedy, at rate at which EBOLA VIRUS is spreading in West Africa. It is a fatal disease in the history of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/it-is-a-tragedy-at-rate-at-which-ebola-virus-is-spreading-in-west/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“Knowledge is the most potent weapon”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thabiso-monkoe/knowledge-is-the-most-potent-weapon/) [Thabiso Monkoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thabiso-monkoe/) > [“How could we have achieved the set-goal, without endurance to the end?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/how-could-we-have-achieved-the-set-goal-without-endurance-to-the-end/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“It is great to do what you love but greater with the great team.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/it-is-great-to-do-what-you-love-but-greater-with-the-great-team/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“Hang on! God will strength in any act of your pursuit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/hang-on-god-will-strength-in-any-act-of-your-pursuit/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“Seekers of wisdom, seekers of life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/seekers-of-wisdom-seekers-of-life/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“The path of light is the quest for knowledge.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/the-path-of-light-is-the-quest-for-knowledge/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“The act of reading is a skill that can be cultivated.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/the-act-of-reading-is-a-skill-that-can-be-cultivated/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“Our freedom of speech is not some cute, optional, anachronistic thing that you write about on a short answer quiz about school uniforms or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-huskie/our-freedom-of-speech-is-not-some-cute-optional-anachronistic-thing/) [Brian Huskie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-huskie/) > [“If the next man's education level makes you feel inferior, that's an inferiority complex. Inferiority starts with self-esteem.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-johnson-jr/if-the-next-man-s-education-level-makes-you-feel-inferior-that-s-an/) [Henry Johnson Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-johnson-jr/) > [“You can be an expert any field of study with consistent effort and consistent learning.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/you-can-be-an-expert-any-field-of-study-with-consistent-effort-and/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“A great sense of commitment builds a hardworking spirit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-chirisa/a-great-sense-of-commitment-builds-a-hardworking-spirit/) [Wayne Chirisa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-chirisa/) > [“Real winners do not compete.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/real-winners-do-not-compete/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 138 Educational-philosophy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/educational-philosophy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Thomas Jefferson. . . knew what schools were for--to ensure that citizens would know when and how to protect their liberty. . . It would not have come easily to the mind of such a man, as it does to political leaders today, that the young should be taught to read exclusively for the purpose of increasing their economic productivity.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Neil Postman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/thomas-jefferson-knew-what-schools-were-for-to-ensure-that-citizens/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Educational-philosophy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/thomas-jefferson-knew-what-schools-were-for-to-ensure-that-citizens/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27c/neil-postman-1598_educational-philosop_thomas-jefferson-knew-what-schools-were_743828.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27c/neil-postman-1598_educational-philosop_thomas-jefferson-knew-what-schools-were_743828.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27c/neil-postman-1598_educational-philosop_thomas-jefferson-knew-what-schools-were_743828.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Thomas Jefferson. . . knew what schools were for--to ensure that citizens would know when and how to protect…” — Neil Postman", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Neil Postman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Thomas Jefferson. . . knew what...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/thomas-jefferson-knew-what-schools-were-for-to-ensure-that-citizens/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/thomas-jefferson-knew-what-schools-were-for-to-ensure-that-citizens/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```