Civil government cannot let any group ride roughshod over others simply because their consciences tell them to do so.
Robert H. JacksonRead
Freedom to differ is not limited to things that do not matter much. That would be a mere shadow of freedom. The test of its substance is the right to differ as to things that touch the heart of the existing order.
Interpretation
What this quote means
True freedom involves the ability to hold differing opinions on important matters.
Robert H. Jackson asserts that genuine freedom is demonstrated not merely by our ability to disagree on trivial issues but rather by our capacity to challenge fundamental beliefs that shape our society. The essence of freedom lies in the right to voice differing perspectives on significant and impactful subjects, as this reflects the depth and substance of what it means to be free.
Themes
FreedomDifferOpinionsSocietyRights
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a speech about civil rights to emphasize the importance of diverse opinions.
More from Robert H. Jackson
All quotes βWhile the Nation has forbidden monopoly by one set of laws it has been creating them by another. Patent laws, valuable as they may be in some respects, often father monopoly.
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To believe that patriotism will not flourish if patriotic ceremonies are voluntary and spontaneous instead of a compulsory routine is to make an unflattering estimate of the appeal of our institutions to free minds.
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In our country are evangelists and zealots of many different political, economic and religious persuasions whose fanatical conviction is that all thought is divinely classified into two kinds - that which is their own and that which is false and dangerous.
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We must make clear to the Germans that the wrong for which their fallen leaders are on trial is not that they lost the war, but that they started it. And we must not allow ourselves to be drawn into a trial of the causes of the war, for our position is that no grievances or policies will justify resort to aggressive war. It is utterly renounced and condemned as an instrument of policy.
Robert H. JacksonRead
Our forefathers found the evils of free thinking more to be endured than the evils of inquest or suppression. This is because thoughtful, bold and independent minds are essential to the wise and considered self-government.
Robert H. JacksonRead
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