It may surprise the reader to learn that Beatty is quite well-read. How can Beatty's knowledge of and hatred for books be reconciled?

Beatty, who is well-read, dislikes the contradictory nature of books. But, like the devil who can quote scripture, Beatty manipulates excerpts from famous works to his advantage.
Having told the woman with many books that she has been locked up in a virtual Tower of Babel, Beatty knows only too well that reading, which offers contradictory ideas, is dangerous to the totalitarian state in which he exerts power. For this reason, Beatty seeks out those who secretly read literature. Books are harmful to a government that desires control over its people, because by reading books, people learn about ideologies that contradict those of their political state and ideas that celebrate individualism. Furthermore, Beatty knows the truth of what Faber tells Montag about books—"the right to carry out actions based on what one has read"—is dangerous to total control of the people.
When he comes to Montag's house because he suspects Montag of reading, Beatty tells his worker that reading is dangerous since there are conflicting ideas in various books, ideas which can create dangerous situations and lead to people's discontent.

We must all be alike. Not everyone born free and equal, as the Constitution says, but everyone made equal. Each man the image of every other; then all are happy. . . . A book is a loaded gun in the house next door. . .. Burn it. Take the shot from the weapon (Part I, page 57)

Although Beatty knows the value of literature, he understands that in a totalitarian state, reading is dangerous because it causes people to reason and to decide for themselves what is right. This kind of thinking is the enemy of a totalitarian government. And Beatty wants to control the problem.