282 Quotes About Freedom-of-thought

Liberty is too precious a thing to be buried in books. Humans should hold it up in their hands every single day of their lives and say from the deepest fathoms of their soul – “I am free – to think – to speak – to act – the way a real, novel, civilized being should – my ancestors couldn’t, but I can, and my children will”.

Liberty must be engraved in our heart and practiced every minute to the letter and spirit.

Truth reveals itself in liberty.

Everyone is by absolute natural right the master of his own thoughts, and thus utter failure will attend any attempt in a commonwealth to force men to speak only as prescribed by the sovereign despite their different and opposing opinions.

Unlike a public performance, such as stand-up comedy, or a live play, reading a book is a very private experience. No one wants to be told what to read, or what they are reading is unsuitable, immoral, racist, sexist, or offensive, as they read a book, in the privacy of their own room. That is why literature will be the last bastion, in the arts at least, of free choice, free speech and free expression.

Free speech and debate are essential in our search for the truth.

First Amendment freedoms are most in danger when the government seeks to control thought or to justify its laws for that impermissible end. The right to think is the beginning of freedom, and speech must be protected from the government because speech is the beginning of thought."[Ashcroft v. Free Speech Coalition (00-795), 198 F.3d 1083, affirmed.]

When there is liberty, you expect a higher degree of freedom and not human rights abuse.

The measure of man's ability to extend the sphere of social possibility can only start with the values of democracy.