“It is the State which educates its citizens in civic virtue, gives them a consciousness of their mission and welds them into unity.”
- July 29, 1883 – April 28, 1945
- Italian
- Politician, Journalist, Dictator, Prime Minister of Italy, Founder of Fascism
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Quote
“It is the State which educates its citizens in civic virtue, gives them a consciousness of their mission and welds them into unity.”
Explanation
This quote captures Mussolini’s belief in the central role of the State as the architect of national identity and moral order. According to this view, the State is not merely a political mechanism but a moral and spiritual force that shapes the character of its people. By claiming that the State “educates,” “gives mission,” and “welds into unity,” Mussolini underscores the fascist goal of forging a homogeneous, disciplined society, where individual identity is subsumed under collective national purpose.
Historically, fascist regimes like Mussolini’s Italy undertook massive efforts to indoctrinate citizens through education, propaganda, youth organizations, and mass media. The aim was to instill loyalty, obedience, and martial values, while erasing class divisions and regional differences in favor of a singular, totalizing national identity. This quote exemplifies how fascism turned the State into an ideological teacher, with the authority to define virtue and destiny, and to demand conformity in thought and behavior.
In contemporary terms, the quote serves as a cautionary reminder of how state power can be used to shape and restrict public consciousness. While education and civic engagement are vital for a functioning society, fascist ideology weaponizes these tools to create obedient citizens rather than free individuals. Democracies must therefore guard against any attempt to centralize control over education or culture in a way that erodes pluralism, suppresses dissent, or imposes a single definition of virtue and mission.
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