Knowledge is not a guarantee of good political behavior, but

Hear the voice of Martha Nussbaum, the philosopher of justice and humanity, who declared: “Knowledge is not a guarantee of good political behavior, but ignorance is a virtual guarantee of bad behavior.” These words strike like a bell across the ages, for they remind us that while wisdom alone cannot ensure virtue, blindness of the mind almost always leads to ruin. To walk in power without knowledge is to walk with a sword in darkness, striking wildly, bringing harm where good was needed.

Nussbaum’s teaching is born of history and observation. She warns us not to be naïve—those who possess knowledge may still choose selfishness, cruelty, or tyranny. Yet, without knowledge, the danger is far greater, for the ignorant cannot even perceive the path of justice. Ignorance blinds rulers and citizens alike, causing them to act not out of reason but out of fear, prejudice, and impulse. Thus, while knowledge is no guarantee, ignorance is near certain destruction.

Consider the tale of Athens in ancient Greece. The citizens prided themselves on democracy, yet at times they acted rashly, swayed by demagogues, and condemned Socrates to death out of ignorance and fear. Their lack of understanding of philosophy and virtue led them to mistake a wise man for a threat. Here we see that knowledge misused can wound, but ignorance unchecked leads entire nations astray.

History repeats this lesson in darker times. Think of the rise of tyrannies in the twentieth century, when propaganda and ignorance of truth allowed masses to be deceived. Leaders exploited fear, and people, lacking the shield of knowledge, followed blindly into war and oppression. Where education was stifled and truth suppressed, bad behavior became not the exception but the rule. Thus, ignorance was not merely a weakness—it was the very foundation of cruelty.

Nussbaum, a philosopher of education, urges us to see that the health of a nation depends upon cultivating citizens who understand history, ethics, and the dignity of others. A ruler may resist knowledge and survive for a time, but a people who choose ignorance will sow their own downfall. For a society built on falsehood cannot endure; only a people nourished by knowledge have hope of governing themselves with justice and restraint.

The lesson is clear: do not rely on knowledge alone to make men good, but ensure that ignorance is never allowed to guide the affairs of nations. Read, study, and question. Teach your children not only to labor but to think, not only to obey but to understand. For ignorance is a seedbed of hatred, but knowledge, though imperfect, is the soil where justice and compassion may take root.

So I say unto you: seek knowledge as a shield against folly. Do not be content with rumors, with slogans, with the empty noise of the crowd. Learn deeply, and hold leaders to account when they act without wisdom. For as Martha Nussbaum declared, knowledge cannot guarantee good, but ignorance all but guarantees evil. Let us therefore strive not for perfection, but for vigilance, that we may resist the blindness that leads to destruction.

Thus her words endure as a warning and as a guide: nations may stumble even in knowledge, but only in ignorance do they march willingly into the abyss.