Absolute freedom of the press to discuss public questions is a foundation stone of American liberty.
Herbert HooverRead
If America is to be run by the people, it is the people who must think. And we do not need to put on sackcloth and ashes to think. Nor should our minds work like a sundial which records only sunshine. Our thinking must square against some lessons of history, some principles of government and morals, if we would preserve the rights and dignity of men to which this nation is dedicated.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of informed and critical thinking among the populace for the preservation of democracy and human rights.
Herbert Hoover's quote underscores the responsibility of the citizenry in a democratic society to engage in thoughtful analysis and reflection. It warns against superficial thinking and encourages a deep understanding of historical lessons and moral principles that are crucial for safeguarding individual rights and the dignity of citizens. By advocating for active engagement in civic matters, Hoover highlights that a true democracy relies on the intellect and awareness of its people rather than blind acceptance of circumstances.
Themes
DemocracyThinkingHistoryCitizenshipRights
In practice
Example use cases
In a political discussion on the importance of voter awareness, this quote can highlight the need for active civic engagement.
More from Herbert Hoover
All quotes →No prosaic description can portray the grandeur of 40 miles of rugged mountains rising beyond a placid lake in which each shadowy precipice and each purple gorge is reflected with a vividness that rivals the original.
Herbert HooverRead
Blessed are the young for they shall inherit the national debt.
Herbert HooverRead
Peace is not made at the council table or by treaties, but in the hearts of men.
Herbert HooverRead
Words without actions are the assassins of idealism.
Herbert HooverRead
There is no more cruel illusion than that war makes a people richer.
Herbert HooverRead
Similar quotes
If women are differentiated only by superficial physical attributes, men appear more individual and irreplaceable than they really are.
Shulamith FirestoneRead
I love the melodies in the Old Testament, how preachers highlight them when they read from the Scripture. But I was influenced forever by the New Testament. I love the Beatitudes, informing us that the meek shall inherit the earth.
Maya AngelouRead
How strange that excision – female circumcision, with several languages using the same term for both kinds of mutilation – of little girls should revolt the westerner but excite no disapproval when it is performed on little boys. Consensus on the point seems absolute. But ask your interlocutor to think about the validity of this surgical procedure, which consists of removing a healthy part of a nonconsenting child’s body on nonmedical grounds – the legal definition of… mutilation.
Michel OnfrayRead
In the end, they wanted security more than they wanted freedom.
Edward GibbonRead
The essential self is innocent, and when it tastes its own innocence knows that it lives for ever.
John UpdikeRead
The slavery of fear had made men afraid to think.
Thomas PaineRead