Open Access

Tetyana Hoggan-Kloubert, Chad Hoggan, Emry McKinney

• This article explores the complex relationship between education, radicalization, and democracy. It examines the differentiation between education as a catalyst for radical social change and as a means of harmful radicalization. Using Vladimir Lenin’s efforts in the USSR as a historical case study and a metaphor, the article analyzes how radical educational reforms aimed at societal transformation can undermine democratic principles when driven by rigid ideology. The authors identify elements that were damaging to democracy historically: the “Silver Bullet” mentality of seeking a singular, simplistic solution to complex societal challenges, the systematic rejection of pluralistic perspectives, and the disturbing willingness to treat human beings as expendable in pursuit of ideological objectives. Contrasting Lenin’s radical educational model, the study introduces Hannah Arendt’s philosophical framework as a counter-perspective that prioritizes human dignity and democratic pluralism.