Murray N. Rothbard

Education: Free and Compulsory

Rothbard gives us the Libertarian view on education. You may not agree with Libertarians on other issues but on education he hits the bull's-eye. It takes a man with courage to tell things as plainly as Mr. Rothbard tells them, but I'm sure everybody agrees with him sotto voce.

Basically "to force into schools children who have little or no aptitude for instruction at all (prevents the education of a child) ... It so happens that among the variety of human ability there is a large number of subnormal children, children who are not receptive to instruction ... To force these children to be exposed to schooling, as the State does almost everywhere, is a criminal offense to their natures. ... the instruction has almost no effect on these children, many of whose hours of life are simply wasted because of the State's decree. .. to dragoon them into a school for a formative decade of their lives, to force them to attend classes in which they have no interest or ability, is to warp their entire personalities." Don't think these kids should just be left alone, no. They get education alright.

"The passion for leveling an enforced equality proclaims: this is good; let every child be forced to learn about 'life' and be forced to associate with the lowest types of humanity. The envy and hatred toward the potentiality of the better and superior child is apparent in this position."

It's true that when Libertarians talk about Freedom they really mean it. Ideas may seem a little over the top, but if you think honestly about them you have to admit that philosophically they are as right as 2+2 are 4.

In this little and very readable book you will find a little history of State compulsion in education in Europe (where all things evil originated -so to say) and finally how it got implemented in America. The simple and clear way he puts things clear and lays responsibilities for the state of education is something truly to be thankful for. You get to know more about education in this little book than reading the partisan panflets written by America's subsidized academics, those demagogues.