The subject of this paper is very old and could readily be stated in terms of Plato’s Republic; the implication of the title, ‘Political Theory and Political Education’, is that I want to state it in terms of an inaugural lecture which was given by Professor Michael Oakeshott in March 1951, when he took over the famous Chair of Political Science at the London School of Economics, held previously only by Graham Wallas and by Harold Laski, who had died in the spring of 1950. Oakeshott’s lecture is called ‘Political Education’: it is not important for the present purpose that you should have read it, because its theme is simple arid is stated in rather cloudy and beautiful prose, from which it will be a pleasure to quote.