ABSTRACT
By the end of the 19th century, fears that national school systems were teaching economic and political ideas that supported ruling elites resulted in the development of alternative forms of education. Libertarian-anarchists organized schools that emphasized freedom of thought as a necessary condition for the progress of society. In addition, they criticized state schools for creating uniformity of thinking. In alternative schools, uniformity of ideas was to be replaced by diversity of ideas, which these educators believed was a necessary condition for freedom of thought. People had to have something to think about before they could truly experience freedom in their thinking.
