Freedom Quotes

"True freedom lies in understanding one's necessity."

"Habit is the realm of freedom."

"In the state, the individual finds his true freedom."

"Freedom of thought requires freedom from the tyranny of received opinion."

"We are most enslaved when we believe ourselves most free from constraint."

"The mind's freedom is both its greatest gift and its most terrible burden."

"The best form of government is a free government."

"No one can be perfectly free until all are free."

"Freedom is consciousness of necessity."

"Freedom and necessity are one and the same thing."

"The community is where individual freedom finds its realization."

"The individual is not accountable to society for his actions, in so far as these concern the interests of no one but himself."

"If all mankind minus one were of one opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind."

"Whatever crushes individuality is despotism, by whatever name it may be called."

"The only freedom which deserves the name is that of pursuing our own good in our own way, so long as we do not attempt to deprive others of theirs."

"Society has had ample opportunity of trying the experiment of unlimited diversity of opinion, and has nothing to apprehend from trying any length to which consistency requires it to be carried."

"Once conform, and the kind and degree of conformity demanded grows by leaps and bounds."

"Mankind are greater gainers by suffering each other to live as seems good to themselves, than by compelling each to live as seems good to the rest."

"The problem of reconciling individual liberty with social authority is only solved by taking into account the true nature of the individual and the true nature of society."

"The demand for conformity is rooted in the notion that individual diversity is somehow dangerous or threatening."

"The person who has allowed themselves to become a mere instrument of their society has lost their humanity."

"Personal independence is the basis of individual development."

"The suppression of unpopular opinion is a peculiar evil."

"When all mankind save one were of a different opinion, that one would have the right to resist the rest."

"The greatest human freedom is the freedom of thought."

"Freedom is the ability to act according to one's own rational nature."

"To act morally is to act freely; to act without principle is slavery."

"To act upon principle is to be truly free, regardless of circumstances."

"One should as a rule respect public opinion in so far as is necessary to avoid starvation and to prevent one's windows from being broken; but anything that goes beyond this is voluntary submission to an unnecessary tyranny."

"You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist."