This is the first post in a series comprising my Education Freedom Manifesto (full PDF Download).
Education Freedom Manifesto
Preamble
Education means emancipation. It means light and liberty.
It means the uplifting of the soul of man into the glorious light of truth,
the light by which men can only be made free.
Frederick Douglass
Regrettably, much of mankind struggles in ignorance and dependency. Ignorance and dependency are not reserved only for the poor, and they do not result from a lack of institutional oversight. In many cases, ignorance and dependency are actually perpetuated by official sources in the name of education itself. As a result, many people unconsciously trust in a cult of experts to oversee their lives.
Of course, this situation is not new. Throughout history, powerful people have sought to maintain and extend control of others by obscuring knowledge and limiting access to resources. This strategy has always functioned best when the general population has been conditioned over time not to question authority.
One notable victory in this struggle was the invention and proliferation of the printing press, and the mass literacy it helped to enable. For much of the world’s history, information was relatively easy to manipulate and control. Once books became inexpensive and rapidly producible, many controlling interests were forced to give way to freedom of thought and expression. The resulting cultural and technological advancements were a testament to the transformational power of freedom.
The Age of Enlightenment popularized important, self-evident truths related to the natural rights of all men and women, including rights to life, liberty, and private property. Those principles inspired an unprecedented expansion of freedom, knowledge, and increase in quality of life for many millions of people. Lamentably, that legacy of liberty and prosperity continues to face strong opposition.
The proliferation of digital media and computer networks have made sharing information extremely inexpensive and almost instantaneous. Knowledge can indeed flood the earth. The remaining challenge is to lead people everywhere by example in truth and freedom to empower them to live in greater independence, abundance, and peace.
In order to enable individuals and families in their natural rights and responsibilities, this document outlines the obstructions to and principles, values, and applications of a true education.
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