Quotes About Freedom

There are no stronger fetters than those we forge for ourselves.

A bedrock principle of religious freedom is that freedom is achieved only if it is achieved for all.

Government is supposed to be neutral on religion. It has no business telling people how, when, or where to pray—or even if they ought to pray. Government does lots of things well, but meddling in our private religious lives is not among them.

The government is, in fact, urging you to pray. That's simply not government's job.

As a boy, I believed freedom for America meant freedom for me. There was a time I believed every word spoken.

I should probably apologize for how much I swear, but fuck it. I've read that some people think swearing shows a lack of imagination and a limited vocabulary, but sometimes "darn" and "poop" and "oh heck" just don't cut it. Besides, swearing is kind of fun.

O happy childhood! blessed youth! But once we know thy potent power; But once we live all careless free; No cross to mar our love-lit bower.

Freedom is absolutely necessary for the progress in science and the liberal arts.

Only that thing is free which exists by the necessities of its own nature, and is determined in its actions by itself alone.

Laws which prescribe what everyone must believe, and forbid men to say or write anything against this or that opinion, are often passed to gratify, or rather to appease the anger of those who cannot abide independent minds.

The highest activity a human being can attain is learning for understanding, because to understand is to be free.

A free man thinks of nothing less than of death, and his wisdom is a meditation, not on death, but on life.

He alone is free who lives with free consent under the entire guidance of reason

the ultimate aim of government is not to rule, or restrain by fear, nor to exact obedience, but to free every man from fear that he may live in all possible security... In fact the true aim of government is liberty.

A free man thinks of death least of all things, and his wisdom is a meditation not of death but of life.

I call him free who is led solely by reason.

Nothing forbids man to enjoy himself, save grim and gloomy superstition

The purpose of the state is really freedom.

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.

Der Endzweck des Staates ist [...] im Grund die Freiheit.

Tyranny is most violent where individual beliefs, which are an inalienable right, are regarded as criminal.

What can be more calamitous than that men should be regarded as enemies and put to death, not for any crime or misdeed, but for being of independent mind?

no one is bound to live as another pleases, but is the guardian of his own liberty.

Everyone is the defender of his own freedom.