Technology
A major concern throughout the book for Henry Adams is the development of technology in society. Adams is born into the 19th century which, by the end of the book, seems incredibly remote to him at the start of the 20th century. Adams identifies this rapid technological advancement with the "Dynamo" or engine. A dynamo Adams witnesses at the Paris Exposition of 1900 which makes him realize how different the world will become. Born in the 19th century, Adams fears technology will change civilization so much he will not be able to recognize it. With schools stuck teaching 19th century topics, Adams feels this outdated education has failed him and the world. Nobody can truly understand these new machines with the topics of the past like rhetoric, Latin, and history. Adams's "Dynamo" represents both the rapid innovation of the world but also the danger of its destruction. His classical (or 19th century) education has failed him as he will never be truly able to understand it.
Education
Henry Adams's goal throughout The Education of Henry Adams is to seek an "education" of some sort. This does not simply mean the normal education of school or college though. Adams desires an "education" of the world. His work as diplomat, teacher, and writer are all part of his "education" as much as his time at college is. To Henry Adams, education is what will allow him to understand the rapidly changing world. The issue is nobody can give him the education he truly desires so he must educate himself. As Adams says, he does not have any faith in universities to truly teach. Henry Adams knows American education has failed at allowing him to understand the modern world. Things such as politics, Marxism, and industrialization he must understand alone without a teacher. By the end of The Education of Henry Adams, Adams understands education is a process through his entire life. Education can never reach a true conclusion. He only understands the world will continue to change as he tries to understand it.
Exponential change
Adams's greatest fear is the "exponential change" technology has created. By 1900, Adams understands the world is changing at a much faster rate than at any point in the 1900's. As a scholar, Adams fears this has left him in the past. He believes that such rapid change will eventually destroy humanity as a whole. Technology accelerated history to, as Adams says, "his historical neck broken by the eruption of new forces." While improving daily life, technology will also be use for industrialization and warfare. It is industrialization which Adams fears will make the world totally unknown to him. The mass development of factories, trains, and later automobiles has made the 1800's look ancient in only a hundred years. Adams also knows all this advancement will one day be used for warfare. He guesses humanity will one day use technology to destroy themselves and the world (predicting the atomic bomb forty years early). Adams identifies the year 1900 as one of the most important in all of history because it is when this change became obvious. The power of technology like electricity, machines, and vehicles will only increase. To Henry Adams, the dynamo is a symbol of "symbol of infinity" or constant/exponential increase.
Religion
Henry Adams identifies religion in opposition to technology or the "Virgin" against the "Dynamo". Where Adams sees the "Dynamo" as being American, he sees the "Virgin" or religion as being European. Neither is superior to the other, but they can not live without each other. Adams identifies the "Virgin" as the religious impulse in art through the virgin Mary, Venus, and the female nature itself. Adams feels religion, or Catholicism, is what gives Europe its art and sensuality. In America (and Northern Europe), the "Virgin" died out in favor of the "Dynamo". He feels that the lack of true religion, or sensuality, has made true art impossible in the United States. Without the inspiration of faith, Henry Adams fears he will never truly become "educated" to the entire world. The religious beauty of art and architecture will always be beyond his grasp.
Culture
One of Adams's constant observations during his work as a diplomat is how different American, British, and French cultures are. As an American, Adams can attempt to understand foreigners but never truly knows them. As Americans and the British share the "dynamo", he can somewhat understand them and their society. The French though Adams never truly understands despite living for years in Paris. It is through this conflict of culture he sees the vast difference between the "Virgin" and the "Dynamo". Henry Adams loves French cathedrals but believes he could never build one himself despite all his education. It is simply another aspect of Adams anxiety at the future. He does not know what America, Europe, or the world will look like in a decade or more.
History
While an autobiographer, Adams is a historian. He makes it a point to recognize his effort thought The Education of Henry Adams is to catalog the drastic change in history. He feels that only through recording his life can a reader truly understand such changes taking place. Adams sees his entire life and the history of the world in retrospect. Often, he focuses upon his own failures and failures of the world. While the great-grandson and grandson of Presidents, Adams is never able to match the achievements of his great-grandfather or grandfather. Even though he was born in the same place and status as them, Henry Adams feels he will never live up to the legacy of John Adams and John Quincy Adams. Still, he shares in their own failures as a member of the Adams family. History does not always see new developments as good ones. To him, history is a constant process of decline which only a proper education combat. Though, he does not even know what a proper education for the 20th century is.
