This chapter addresses the formation of citizens in liberal-democratic states. Liberalism places considerable weight on education, not only as a private good, but as a public and civic good. It values diversity, and is cautious of parental practices that may insulate children from exposure to differing worldviews. While liberalism acknowledges the right of parents to make significant choices in child-rearing, it also holds that children must be guaranteed an open future, that is, the capacity to develop their own sense of identity and direction. This leads to an unavoidable tension: between parental religious freedom and the child’s developing autonomy. In addressing this, liberal theorists have introduced the notion of anticipatory autonomy, the idea that children possess a future-oriented autonomy that must be respected in the present, and that parents should be seen as temporary custodians of that autonomy. Should the State, then, be entitled to curtail parental authority on these grounds? Should parents be viewed, normatively, as guardians in loco societas? Chapter 4 concludes with a critical reflection on the distinction between autonomy as a moral ideal and autonomy as a political principle.