This chapter delves into Kant’s justification for compulsory education as a form of state-sanctioned totalized educational paternalism designed to transform the unenlightened masses into reasonable, rational, moral, mature, and autonomous citizens. It critically analyzes how state-imposed curricula and rigid educational practices serve to suppress individual creativity and autonomy while reinforcing a one-size-fits-all model. By contrasting this with emerging ideas of self-education and learning on demand, the author questions whether coercive educational methods can truly nurture the intellectual and personal development required for genuine enlightenment.