Enlighten the people generally, and tyranny and oppressions of vanish like evil spirits at the dawn of day.
FreedomEducationSocietyKnowledgeTyrannyEnlightenmentOppression
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Jefferson asserts that widespread education causes tyranny and oppression to disappear like evil spirits at daybreak.
- In plain terms
- When people are educated, tyranny vanishes like evil spirits in the morning.
- What can you take from it?
- Education is the most powerful tool to end oppression.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Can education alone stop tyranny?
- What happens when educated people still oppress?
Another view
It assumes education automatically leads to rejecting tyranny, which is not always true.
More from Thomas Jefferson
Let those flatter, who fear: it is not an American art.
Permalink to quote #194 I know of no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their con…
Permalink to quote #196 Where the press is free, and every man able to read, all is safe.
Permalink to quote #193
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