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Abstract
The smooth-running of the government of any nation depends on how far the proper use of 
reason is enthroned through adequate education. When the intellectual faculty of man, 
which he was endowed with at creation, is positively put into use, then peace will reign 
and insecurity could be eliminated. Assurance of security remains fundamental in any 
nation worthy of the name. The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Section 14 
(2)b states that: “the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of 
government.” The realization of this article has become an uphill task. Despite emphasis 
of security and welfare of the people, Nigeria is currently bedevilled by a festering 
security challenges that have ceaselessly culminated in the loss of innocent lives. These 
reckless killings being witnessed presently in every corner of Nigeria is being perpetrated 
by human beings gifted with reason at creation. One then begins to wonder where man's 
natural gift of reason has gone to. No doubt, proper use of reason insures a progress, 
tranquility and respect for the fundamental rights of others. When reason is improperly 
used, the resultant effect could be any kind of imaginable evil. This research uses 
expository and critically evaluative approaches. It discusses the preeminence of positive 
use of reason in subduing the earth and the attendant intellectual security. It exposes 
insecurity and its variegated forms. That leads us to making appeal to use of critical 
thinking as a proper way out of the current impasse with regard to security.

Keywords: Subduing.  Security, Insecurity, and Critical Thinking.

Introduction 
Man is the only animal endowed with reason (animal rationalis). At creation he was 
enjoined to subdue the earth. To subdue the earth entails using his natural gift of reason for 
the betterment of his environment be it physical or intellectual environment; though the 
latter has both epistemological priority and priority in time. It is when the intellect is 
properly trained and guided that the resultant effect will touch the both the environment 
and the rest of us. Presently insecurity has become a cankerworm that is eating deep and 
ravaging every corner of Nigeria today. It has become a festering sore that appears 
apparently incurable. The nation is speedily relapsing into untold anarchy and those that 
are supposed to act seem to be doing virtually nothing; they appear to be unperturbed.  It is 
either they are overwhelmed by the enormity of onslaught or they are guilty bystanders. 
Apparently, the situation is getting out of control. There is daily news on how inhabitants 
of a town or village are massacred in cold blood; how innocent travelers are ambushed 
and slaughtered; how unarmed citizens are kidnapped and humungous ransom required in 
order to release them. In some cases the ransom is collected and the victim at the same 

THEO-PHILOSOPHICAL IMPORT OF “SUBDUE THE EARTH” (GEN.1,28): 
SUBDUING INSECURITY IN NIGERIA THROUGH CRITICAL THINKING.

Evaristus IFEANACHO, Ph.D



90

time killed. The powers that be need to churn out strategies for addressing the current 
collapse of security in the country. There is need for urgent solution. Such solution will be 
arrived at through critical thinking and extolling the primacy of reason over violence. A 
country whose leaders are learned should be able to apply their reason in mapping out 
ways of combatting insecurity and its attendant crime waves.

At this juncture, a plethora of worrying questions comes to mind. Since we have earlier 
enjoyed a relatively good security, how come it that insecurity has assumed the centre 
stage? More so, since these violent acts are perpetrated by human beings endowed with 
reason, how could the use of reason be re-prioritized in the academic curriculum of our 
institutions of learning? How could intellectual security be inculcated in students in their 
various levels of academic pursuit? Evidently, the task is going to be all-involving and has 
to start from the grassroots. Such attempt could demand the reforming of the education 
sector and inject a proper spirit of critical thinking starting from the lowest rung of the 
educational ladder. 

The primacy of reason in subduing the earth 
Man is the only creature that is created in God's own image (imago Dei).  In fact, “humans 
are the pinnacle of the created world” (Clifford and Murphy, 1990, p.5). This is evidenced 
by the fact that man shares in the light of divine mind. Consequent upon his endowment 
with intellect the document of Second Vatican Council maintains that “he surpasses the 
world of mere things. By diligent use of his talents through the ages he has made progress 
in the empirical sciences, in technology, and in the liberal sciences” (Pastoral 
Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, 1998, no.15). Even the world of 
machinery remains the “fruit of the work of the human intellect and a historical 
confirmation of man's dominion over nature” (John Paul II, 1981, no.5). With this 
intellectual supremacy, man is therefore meant to master and bring his environment under 
control. Further still, the divine injunction of subduing and dominating the earth is 
predicated on the divine spark that man was endowed with at creation. That goes to 
distinguish him as a person and he is as such “a subjective being capable of acting in a 
planned and rational way, capable of deciding about himself, and with a tendency to self-
realization” (John Paul II, 1981, no.6). 

Even in this process of stewardship over other created things, he is to treat all life within 
the created order with respect. Adequate stewardship demands having a good intention in 
his dealing with other creatures; and not allow himself to be conquered by the evil 
inclination of his heart. Consequently, every aspect of man's endeavor ought to “clearly 
and directly remain linked to the fact that the one who carries it out is a person, a conscious 
and free subject, that is to say a subject that decides about himself” (John Paul II, 1981, 
no.6).

At this juncture, what irresistibly calls to mind is: since man is meant to subdue and take 
care of other created realities thanks to his gift of reason, why does man become a wolf to 
his fellow man? Why in the case of Nigeria does man throw overboard the use of reason 
and continues to create insecure atmosphere for others? Since man is a conscious and free 

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subject that ought to consider the ethical implication of his action, how come it that there 
is a spree of killings and kidnappings in Nigeria? We are therefore called upon to subdue 
the challenges of insecurity in Nigeria through the proper use of our God-given 
intellectual capabilities. Certainly, insecurity could be nipped from the bud through the 
inauguration of an atmosphere of intellectual security.

Security and intellectual security
Security, as a concept, is derived from the Latin adjective Securus, meaning untroubled, 
quiet, composed, serene. Such disposition engenders freedom from anxiety which affords 
grounds to be confident. Security is a natural requirement in all societies. In fact, it is one 
of the most important demands of human societies. Security is widely considered as an 

all-encompassing condition in which people and communities live in 
freedom, peace and safety, participate fully in the governance of their 
countries, enjoy the protection of fundamental rights, have access to 
resources and basic necessities of life, and inhabit an environment which 
is not detrimental to their health and well-being… the security of people 
and the security of the State are mutually reinforcing. (The Organisation 
for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2001, p.38)

According to Robinson (2008) one can have varying degrees of security, more or less 
protection from both internal and external threats. Such external ones could refer to 
protection from physical, economic, social, cyber threats etc. It could include the invasion 
of a country by external aggressors or forceful annexation of a part of a country. In that 
context, the Council on Foreign Relations (2012) talks of national security which is 
closely linked with human capital, and the human capital of a nation is as strong or as 
weak as its public schools. More so, for national security is also seen as “a state or 
condition in which most cherished values of a country and the people are permanently 
protected and continuously enhanced” (Radda, 2013, p.73). In fact, “only the state has the 
wherewithal to guarantee security and save society from anarchy (and since government 
represents the state), the state through its government should provide adequate security to 
justify its raison d'être” (Gaskin, 1996, p.104). All in all, as stated in the document of 
Organization of African Unity (1991) the security of a nation must be “constructed in 
terms of the security of the individual citizen to live in peace with access to basic 
necessities of life while fully participating in the affairs of his/her society in freedom and 
enjoying all fundamental human rights.” 

From the foregoing, Myers (1993) upholds that security has more to do with the human 
well-being which has to do not only with protection from harm and injury but also access 
to basic amenities of life, and other basic requisites that are the due of every person on 
Earth. It is the collectivity of these citizen needs, and utmost desire to improve the quality 
of life and the general safety of the citizenry that should feature dominantly in the nation's 
view of security. 

On the other hand, the internal threats have to do with ones that are more of psychological, 
spiritual etc. Such threats can give rise to a loss of free behavior and culminate in a vitiated 

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motivational arousal or distorted spiritual focus. Added to them are intra-State threats that 
stifle the orderliness of a country and create a heightened psychological tension among 
the people. 

However, a more fundamental aspect of security is that of the intellect which is acquired 
through education. In that realm, 

 security includes everything related to the bank of human memory; such 
as the cultures, values and moral principles that the human receives. It 
also includes the protection of all his rights related to freedom of choice 
and freedom of acting provided that this freedom does not violate or 
conflict with the rights of others; as well as the human's right in 
maintaining intellectual property. (Tomlinson, 2006, pp.242-251) 

By and large, it alludes to the “safety of human thoughts from deviation or getting away 
from moderation in his understanding of political, religious and social matters; thus, 
leading him to establish public order, and achieve stability in his life” (Al-Osaimi et al., 
2018, p.155). In order to arrive at such desired stability, there has to be a studied 
protection of learner's ideas, minds and thoughts from every belief and wrong behavior 
that would pose a threat to the security and stability of society. To that effect, it becomes 
obvious that mere academic intelligence does not suffice for intellectual security, but 
rather it requires intelligence that is constantly but consistently guided by properly 
reasoned and evaluated action that goes to promote progressive development in all its 
diverse facets and healthy socio-political living. Following from that, could a professor in 
any field of learning who does not strive to positively promote learning in all its 
ramifications but indulges in the extortion of money from students or sex-for-marks be 
said to be intellectually secure? Could a Professor of Statistics who is co-opted for the 
rigging of election results that is meant to promote good governance be said to be 
intellectually secure? Could parliamentarians elected or worst still 'selected' for the 
promotion of the rule of law who on the contrary metamorphose into agents of 
overwhelming self-aggrandizement be said to be intellectually secure? Could a Professor 
of Law that does nothing while justice is being nose-dived and rule of law being jettisoned 
be rightly said to have attained intellectual security? Could Civil Servants who are sunk 
deep in bribery and its attendant corrupt practices be considered to be intellectually 
secure? Could Colonialists that unstoppably siphon the mineral resources of their 
colonies and multinational companies that mercilessly crush other emerging economies 
of developing nations be actually said to be intellectually secure? And what can we say of 
a student of philosophy who graduates with flying colours but incapable of sustaining any 
reasonable argument to its logical conclusion with the instrument of critical thinking or 
worst still lives the everydayness of his earthly existence totally devoid of proper 
evaluation or the proverbial caution of think-before-act?As a corollary, Cicero in his book 
De officiis gave three rules to be observed while carrying out an action and among them 
the most important is: “Let your desires be governed by reason(Appetitus rationi pareat)” 
(Cicero, 2005, p.145).

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All in all, Burnhill (2016) holds that giving a primacy to education helps to inculcate a 
security consciousness that will in turn engender a durable security in every community. 
It has to be a holistic education that is as in-depth in content as it is transformative in its 
result. That goes to say that in such knowledge economy, mere memorization of facts and 
procedures is not enough for success. Rather it demands a conceptual understanding of 
complex concepts, and the ability to work with them creatively to generate new ideas, 
new theories, new products, and new knowledge. Further still, Organization for 
Economic Cooperation and Development (2008) holds that there is need to be able to 
critically evaluate what is read, and express it clearly.

More fundamentally, according to Afifi (2004) intellectual security for the individual 
means an automatic achievement of security in all other aspects; as the mind is the focus 
of the conscious leadership in humans. It is entrusted with all other security aspects. 
However, the destabilization of security leads to insecurity and the after effect is usually 
devastating.

Insecurity and its trademark
Insecurity undoubtedly remains the antithesis of security. When necessary attention 
to security is neglected, the resultant effect is a total relapse to insecurity. On that 
note, insecurity is the “state of fear or anxiety stemming from a concrete or alleged lack 
of protection” (Beland, 2005, p.126). According to Onifade et al., (2013) it refers to lack 
or inadequate freedom from danger. In consequence of that, Achumba et al. (2013) goes 
ahead to argue that the concept of insecurity suggests an obvious absence of safety, which 
goes to culminate in various forms of hazardous condition. Such lack of security does not 
refer only to physical insecurity, but dovetails into psychological, spiritual, intellectual 
insecurities to mention but a few.
Forms of insecurity
Insecurity can be classified into several dimensions. The most significant dimensions as 
presented by Alemika (2019) are: physical, public, economic, social, political and human 
right violations. When these forms of insecurity are conquered, then security is 
reasonably assured in the society. There is no gainsaying the fact that there exists an 
evident interconnectedness between various forms of security. There is no gainsaying the 
fact that,

Today we know that “security” means far more than the absence of 
conflict. We know that lasting peace requires a broader vision 
encompassing areas such as education, health, democracy and human 
rights, protection against environmental degradation and the 
proliferation of deadly weapons. We know that we cannot be secure 
amidst starvation, that we cannot build peace without alleviating poverty, 
and that we cannot build freedom on the foundations of injustice. These 
pillars of what we now understand as the people-centered concept of 
human security are interrelated and mutually reinforcing. (Anan, 2001)

Physical insecurity
It is obvious that every form of security has its attendant insecurity. Undoubtedly, the 

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aspect of insecurity will disappear if accompanying security is fervently promoted and 
ardently fostered. Ordinarily, physical security has to do with that part of “protective 
security concerned with the provision and maintenance of a safe and secure environment 
for the protection of agency employees and clients, and physical measures designed to 
prevent unauthorized access to official resources and to detect and respond to intruders” (, 
p.27). In the same token, apart from securing objects and environment, there is also the 
necessity of protecting human beings against physical attacks. When such protection is 
not forthcoming, man will then be susceptible to all forms of physical attacks. The 
stronger will be oppressing the weak; the more privileged will be subjugating the less 
privileged; the haves will constantly be intimidating the have-nots; the more developed 
nations or multinationals will be subduing the less developed nations be it ideologically 
or with their economic might. That goes to confirm the fact that “while poverty can be a 
cause of physical insecurity, physical insecurity also further perpetuates chronic poverty” 
(Jones et al. 2010, p.69). When such situation arises, it becomes an obvious case of 
physical insecurity. Apart from full-fledged physical violence, there are other subtle 
oppressive attitudes that could be symptomatic of physical insecurity. Such forms of 
insecurity according to the United Nations, Office of High Commissioner for Human 
Rights (1992) could also arise from the articulation of discriminatory social institutions 
(i.e. social attitudes, customs, codes of conduct, norms, traditions, value systems) and is 
rooted in unequal power structures, discriminatory social orders and exploitative 
relationships. 

Public insecurity
In order to understand public insecurity, it is necessary to expose the concept of public 
security. Public security is the “function of governments which ensures the protection of 
citizens, organizations, and institutions against threats to their well-being – and to the 
prosperity of their communities.” (Wikipedia)  When such security is no longer 
guaranteed, the tendency is that the public is exposed to insecurity. This may be 
manifested in insurgency, terrorism and violent conflicts.

On the other hand, public insecurity Cruz (2009) noted is a direct function of threats and 
vulnerabilities exposed by the risk of becoming a victim of crime. In line with this, 
reminiscence of past experiences of victimization and in most cases the eventual imprints 
of its socially constructed vulnerabilities evident in debilitating economic status and at 
times cohabitation with dangerous neighbours reinforce feelings of insecurity.

Not to be forgotten is the fact that Elchardus (2008) observed that nowadays the uncritical 
and unexamined use of the social media and other means of social communication have 
continuously but speedily been fanning the embers of public insecurity. 

Economic insecurity
Economic insecurity is the “harmful volatility in people's economic circumstances. This 
includes their exposure to objective and perceived risks to their economic well-being, and 
their capacity to prepare for, respond to and recover from shocks or adverse events” 
(Shafique, 2018, p.17). This obviously engenders poverty, unemployment and strings of 

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other social maladies. To that effect, economic insecurity has to do with “the risk of 
economic loss faced by workers and households as they encounter the unpredictable 
events of social life” (Western, 2012, p.342). Such situation is most often nourished by 
social inequities. 

Nevertheless, it does not stop there because “even when a state is secure from external 
threats or internal instabilities, security for its people is not guaranteed. Protecting 
individuals and communities from the consequences of environmental decline (in this 
case) is therefore a security issue” (Elliott, 2001, pp.438-467).

Environmental insecurity
It was who insisted that “to preserve security, the entire human environment is being 
taken into consideration, including the need to resolve environmental problems and 
ensure a sustainable future” (Graeger, 1996, p.109). When this is neglected, the effect is 
usually catastrophic and the whole security process is jeopardized and insecurity gains 
upper hand. 

Although the definitions of environmental security vary, for White (2014) there is 
however the centrality of the fact that the diversity has a meeting point in the inclusion of 
the common theme of whether or not people have enough food, water and natural 
resources to live. That notwithstanding, the significance of environmental security 
extends far beyond the environmental sector as such. Environmental degradation, 
resource depletion and natural disasters may have direct implications for the security of 
individual States, group of States and of the international community as a whole” 
(Kirchner, 2000, p.3). When nature is preserved and reasonably domesticated by man, the 
human environment becomes more enabling and livable. It is therefore man that gives 
meaning to his environment and it is equally man that eventually gains from it. On the 
other hand, man pays for any error or mishandling of natural environment. There is, 
therefore, need to be extremely cautious and respectful of natural environment. It be 
borne in mind that “for human beings to destroy the biological diversity of God's creation; 
for human beings to degrade the integrity of the earth by causing changes in its climate, by 
stripping the earth of its natural forests or destroying its wetlands; for human beings to 
contaminate the earth's waters, its land, its air, and its life – these are sins” (Chryssavgis 
(cited by Francis, 2015), no.8). Its resultant effect is obvious environmental insecurity. 
Environmental insecurity is that relative lack of public safety arising from 
“environmental dangers caused by natural or human processes due to ignorance, 
accident, mismanagement or design and originating within or across national 
borders” (Glenn, 1998, p.9). Evidences of environmental insecurity include: death of 
forests, thinning of the ozone layer, air pollution, fresh water contamination and 
depletion, land degradation (centering on desertification, salinization, soil erosion, food 
insecurity, epidemics, damage to the oceans, hazardous waste etc.). Further still, Francis 
(2015) decries the worst situation where at times there is even a direct exportation of 
materials of environmental degradation from some developed countries to developing 
ones, thereby polluting their natural environment. Most of the multinationals are 
guilty of this ugly conduct. They indulge in exportation of solid waste and toxic liquids 

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to developing countries. Such abominable acts which they carry out in developing 
countries they would never do in developed countries. It is therefore criminal, 
unethical and totally unconscionable. It is a blatant breach of what freedom and 
responsibility stand for and a negation of what intellectual security ought to be.

These sad evidences of environmental insecurity cannot be effectively and fruitfully 
combatted unless there is adequate education on the rest of us for natural environment. It 
is not an exclusive type of education but rather an inclusively shared form of education 
whose positive effect gets diffused and implemented among nations. It demands training 
and constant exchange and updating of information. Such training Kirchner remarks 
(2000) will also ensure capacity building in the elaboration of national and international 
law that will promote the much desired environmental security in different eco-
geographical regions. 

Social insecurity
The Universal Declaration on Human Rights (1948) states that everyone has the right to 
life, liberty and security of person. This was corroborated by Article 22 thus: everyone, as 
a member of society, has the right to social security. The contravention of these rights 
leads to a relapse to insecurity. Such social insecurity will lead to other imaginable and 
unimaginable ills ranging from illiteracy, physical and mental illnesses, poverty, lack of 
social care, criminality, racism and other kinds of discriminatory tendencies.

Political insecurity
This has to do with the denial of good and social democratic governance.A political 
society has to be governed by the rule of law. When this basic but enriching instrument of 
good governance is scuttled in any form at all anarchy becomes the order of the day. When 
the citizens cannot freely exercise their franchise, when disenfranchisement is used as an 
instrument for election-rigging, when political desperadoes are mandated and protected 
for the perpetration of political violence and intimidation of all sorts, when election 
results are doctored in favour of whomever, when kangaroo court proceedings are put in 
place in addressing electoral malpractices so as to thwart justice with blatantly palpable 
impunity, when the tyranny of arbitrary power pervades the whole political ecosystem 
then political insecurity has been shamelessly enthroned. 

Political insecurity can also assume an international dimension. International politics is 
strongly founded on permanent interests and not permanent friendship. Regrettably, even 
moral and legal principles are only accepted to the extent that they coincide with the 
State's interests. It is highly regrettable that “at times, developing countries face forms of 
international pressure which make economic assistance contingent on  certain policies of 
'reproductive health'” (Francis, 2015, no.50). This is further corroborated by an obvious 
fact that “in many poor countries, economic aid provided by some richer countries or 
international agencies is usually tied to the acceptance of Western views of sexuality, 
marriage, life or social justice. This ideological colonization is especially harmful to the 

 These 
anomalies will do harm to the community life and idea of solidarity which form the 
centrifugal point of any worthy society. 

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young” (Francis, 2019, no.78). Further still, such disposition smacks of abject lack of 
intellectual security and maturity, but rather mirrors sullied attitude unworthy of 
countries that regard themselves as developed World. What is developed about political 
harassment and bullying of developing countries? What is developed about the 
intimidation or suppression of emerging economies? What is developed about the 
application of intellectual growth for the undoing of developing countries? Absolutely 
nothing, but a flagrant exhibition of intellectual insecurity! Evidently, these points argues 
Francis (2015) go to consolidate the fact that the contemporary man is totally bereft of the 
wise use of power. The speedy development in man's technological ability does not find 
an equiperable growth in human responsibility, values and conscience. It is a 
conspicuously lopsided development that is as detestable as it is devastating.

All in all, only through proper education could these anomalies regarding security be 
remedied. However, it has to be a positively guided by sound education and not one that is 
mixed up with a subtle miseducation or outflow of indoctrination of any sort.

Shaping the proper use of reason through education
Although education is most often viewed from its positive and progressive gains, it must 
not be forgotten that it has also a negative dimension. However, whether it is positive or 
negative depends on the extent proper use of reason or lack of proper reasoning is brought 
into play.  Everything depends on how one applies the knowledge he/she has gained 
through education. The improper use of knowledge that could at times rear up its ugly 
head has in recent times generated the idea of considering the two-sides of the same coin 
in the application of our learning, that is, the positive and the negative. In fact, it goes 
without saying that “the paradox of education is that it has tremendous potential for both 
good and bad dependent on its use and implementation” (Ghosh et al., 2016, p.17).

Critical thinking: the positive side of education
Education in its positive dimension creates an enlightenment that helps in the widening of 
one's mental horizon in all its ramifications. Undoubtedly, the primary task of education is 
what it does in us. It basically has to do with its transforming effects in our inner being. 
Such transformation shapes our conduct for the good, chisels out the rough edges of our 
unschooled nature, trains the mind, builds characters and instils veritable moral values. 
Consequently, there is need for educational correctness. In fact, “correct education 
disposes the child to take the path that will lead him to truth when he has reached the age to 
understand it, and to goodness when he has acquired the faculty of recognizing and loving 
it” (Cunningham, 1947, p.21). Thus disposed, he/she becomes a vehicle for the promotion 
of security by giving primacy to the use of reason. Hence, good education “offers an 
opportunity to prevent the radicalisation of young people through the development of 
critical thinking and values of ethical and engaged citizenship” (Ghosh, 2016, p.15).

Critical thinking remains a veritable instrument for the consolidation and realization of 
intellectual security. Indeed, intellectual security ought to be the terminus ad quem of 
every learning process that is worthy of the name. The learning process has to be guided 
by a durable grooming and drilling in critical thinking. It has to be noted that “critical 

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thinking is equal with intelligence and shouldn't be misunderstood with it. Critical 
thinking is a skill that can be developed” (Karakoç, 2016, p.83). Characteristically, those 
properly schooled in critical thinking are not usually “stampeded by stump orators. They 
are not unusually slow to believe. They can wait for evidence and weigh evidence, 
uninfluenced by the emphasis or confidence with which assertions are made on one side 
or the other.  Education in the critical faculty is the only education to make good citizens” 
(Fahim, 2011, p.1635). Such security arms one with properly reasoned existence. 

Considering the negative use of education
Education can also be used negatively by the educated.Evidences abound on how people 
have used their academic knowledge in the perpetration of evil or in the production of 
lethal pharmaceutical products and weapons of mass destruction. For instance, some 
virologists could at times produce viruses in the laboratory targeted at queer demographic 
control of a people. In the same token, Fahim (2011) maintains that formal educational 
spaces are being used by extremist organisations to indoctrinate and recruit young people. 
While education has been used as a tool throughout history to promote state and 
religiously sanctioned ideologies, extremists today actively seek to create educational 
cultures that foster divisive violent religious worldviews and encourage violent 
extremism.There is a spontaneously composed rhetoric of injustice by these young 
people, mixed up with the finely churned out narrative of adopting violence as means of 
expressing dissatisfaction against the evil perpetrated by the imperialist powers. 

On another serious note, there is a machinery of untruth being used by the imperialist 
powers to subjugate small nations. This untruth is bombarded and forcefully peddled by 
the mass media as if it is an obvious truth. This is done with an aim of damaging the image 
of their real or purported enemy. One wonders why knowledge should be so negatively 
applied and consequently vilified. It therefore becomes pertinent to invite critical 
thinking as a way of positively fostering intellectual security.

Understanding the importance of critical thinking for the challenges of insecurity 
Education remains the foundation of every developmental progress. No doubt then “the 
State of America's education system has consequences for economic competitiveness and 
innovation. No country in the twenty-first century can be truly secure by military might 
alone. The dominant power of the twenty-first century will depend on human capital. The 
failure to produce that capital will undermine American security” (Klein and Rice, 2012, 
p.xiv). That human capital is acquired through a boundless investment in education. It is 
through quality education and qualitative application of what is learnt in one's daily 
activities that intellectual security is assured. When we mentally evolve through 
education but our actual self and attitude remains flagrantly in opposition to the status we 
have attained in education, then intellectual security remains farfetched; a mere 
mannequin. The fruit of education is not static but dynamic. It has to be reformed in 
season and out of season. One of the ancient philosophers thus maintains that, 
“education… is the first and fairest thing that the best of men can ever have, and which 
though liable to take a wrong direction, is capable of reformation. And this work of 
reformation is the great business of every man while he lives” (Plato, 2015, no.1,644). He 

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further strongly upholds that education illumines man's intellect, sharpens his ability of 
critical thinking and tries to direct or redirect it to the proper destination.

the power to learn is present in everyone's soul and that the instrument 
with which each learns is like an eye that cannot be turned around from 
darkness to light without turning the whole body. This instrument cannot 
be turned around from that which is coming into being without turning 
the whole soul until it is able to study that which is and the brightest thing 
that is, namely, the one we call the good…. Then education is the craft 
concerned with doing this very thing, this turning around, and with how 
the soul can most easily and effectively be made to do it. (Plato, 2007, 
7,518c-d)

In the same pedestal, effective school in critical thinking is part of the infrastructure that 
allows for the construction of security architecture that better understands and analyses 
threats to security.  Education contributes to security by showing children and young 
people that conflict, violence, hatred, extremism are not the only paths to follow.   The 
value of education should be self-evident, and any national leader will likely agree on this 
point in isolation. Alemika (2019) was right when he stated that, a good number of 
conflicts often arise from ignorance and manipulation of ethnic and religious identity. In 
fact, education (not just passing through the four walls of the school) system produces 
tolerant and civil citizens who are able to understand and live with people from different 
ethnic, economic, religious and cultural backgrounds and other forms of identities. 

When a country is populated by a citizenry that has attained a reasonable level of critical 
thinking, intellectual security, then the challenges of insecurity will gradually die a 
natural death. A situation where the supremacy of reason subdues the cumulus of 
ignorance, the air of civility will naturally dominate the contagious air of uncertainty and 
fear that go with such anomaly. 

Conclusion
From the foregone exposition, it is crystal clear as Al-Rodhan (2007) confirmed that 
sustainable global security can only be achieved when education culminating in critical 
thinking is made a priority by states and their institutions. When properly realized, 
education can be a global asset to fight poverty, inequality, insecurity, and disease. The 
onus then lies on every country to prioritize education if insecurity is to be properly 
eradicated. However, it has to be the right type of education that promotes the supremacy 
of good reasoning over any form of indoctrination. It has to be an education that 
vigorously combats every extremist tendency.To that effect, “a country that bequeaths the 
right type of education to its citizens makes it difficult for such citizens to turn against 
their father land. In fact, it is meaningless to talk of security in the absence of the right type 
of education” (Orikpe, 2013, pp.53-59). 
On that note, therefore, it goes without saying that, 

education, when well imparted and utilized, has the potency of promoting 
national security. This is because it is mostly uneducated jobless and educated 
jobless youths that are easily attracted to crimes, thereby, constituting insecurity 

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in a country. While Western education that is not geared towards self-reliance 
(education that makes youth job seeker) may be dangerous as far as developing 
countries are concerned, lack of Western education or low education is even more 
dangerous. Low education often translates to absence of competitive skill, 
adequate income, exclusion from participating in vital political and economic and 
social organizations and relations; lack of access to adequate food and nutrition, 
housing, health care and efficient public emergency and safety services-all which 
are element on human security. (Radda, 2013)

In the famous words of the motto of University of Chicago we say, “let knowledge grow 
that life may be enriched” (Crescat scientia, vita colatur) in all its ramifications.

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