Educate Quote by Noam Chomsky
“Millions of people are getting the vote, and we have to educate them to keep them from our throats. In other words, we have to train them in obedience and servility, so they're not going to think through the way the world works and come after our throats.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Lecture on Media and Power, 1995
Democratic participation is threatened when citizens are taught obedience rather than critical thinking.
In simple terms: Education should foster critical thought, not compliance.
Key Takeaway
Promote critical thinking in civic education.
Themes
politics
education
power
Mood
concerned
critical
Type
political
activist
When to use this quote
- school curricula
- public debates
- policy making
- media literacy programs
Key Concepts
authoritarianism
democratic theory
media influence
Questions to Reflect On
- How can societies shift from obedience to critical engagement?
- What role does media play in shaping obedience?
A Different Perspective
Changing entrenched obedience is difficult and may face resistance.
![“I wrote an article about the marine landing [in Haiti] right away, but barely mentioned the oil, because my article would come out two months later and I assumed by then, "of course, everybody knows." Nobody knew. There was a news report in the Wall Street Journal, in the petroleum journals, and…” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/dc5/noam-chomsky-42_articles_i-wrote-an-article-about-the-marine-land_13341.jpg)
![“They [the teachers at European conservatories] taught us because they wanted to pass the knowledge on and educate young musicians. It was not because they had to teach because they failed as musicians. There is a huge difference in the reasons why someone is teaching and what they can offer and…” quote by Miroslav Vitous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9d1/miroslav-vitous-24266_conservatory_they-the-teachers-at-european-conservato_25455.jpg)
