Technology shifts gears. The workers who control it need to learn how to shift gears, too. Workers brought up with universal schooling would respect authority, learn enough "geometry and mechanics" to use in their trades, keep invention alive, and finally see through "the interested complaints of faction and sedition." In other words, they would learn to think critically. The conservative emphasis on job training and respect for authority can be used to bash the liberal arts. The governors of North Carolina, Texas, and Florida routinely use Smith's logic to do just that. But the part about teaching people to think--which is what the liberal arts are supposed to do--is important. The author argues that many folks need to think critically, and it's not easy to teach them how. But, with a little help, people adapt.