The Wealth of Nations Education Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Book.Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #7

Every part of their [women's] education tends evidently to some useful purpose; either to improve the natural attractions of their person, or to form their mind to reserve, to modesty, to chastity, and to economy. (5.1.79)

Smith is a big fan of women's education during his time because he thinks that women are only taught things that are useful for their lives. In other words, women are taught how to sew, run a household, and resist sex until marriage.

Quote #8

An instructed and intelligent people besides are always more decent and orderly than an ignorant and stupid one. (5.1.93)

There are many reasons to make sure that the people in your country have a good education. One of the main ones is that educated people tend to behave better than uneducated ones.

Quote #9

They are more disposed to examine, and more capable of seeing through, the interested complaints of faction and sedition, and they are, upon that account, less apt to be misled into any wanton or unnecessary opposition to the measures of government. (5.1.93)

Smith believes that if people in a country are more educated, they'll be less likely to be taken in by fads and by radical politics. That's because they'll have the skills necessary to think for themselves and to see errors in other people's reasoning.