As liberty of thought is absolute, so is liberty of speech, which is 'inseparable' from the liberty of thought. Liberty of speech, moreover, is essential not only for its own sake but for the sake of truth, which requires absolute liberty for the utterance of unpopular and even demonstrably false opinions.
Interpretation
Liberty of thought and speech are essential for expressing truth, including unpopular opinions.
This quote emphasizes the fundamental connection between freedom of thought and freedom of speech. It argues that true liberty in expressing ideas, even those that are unpopular or incorrect, is vital for pursuing truth and understanding, as it allows for a diverse range of opinions and discussions that challenge the status quo.
In practice
In a debate about free speech rights, one could reference this quote to highlight the importance of protecting unpopular opinions.
The footnote would seem to be the smallest detail in a work of history. Yet it carries a large burden of responsibility, testifying to the validity of the work, the integrity (and the humility) of the historian, and to the dignity of the discipline.
You get trapped by stories. Though I've got this reputation for being out of control, it's not true, it just happens to be a more interesting story than the truth.
The soul is the prison of the body.
We could not guard every water pipeline from being blown up and every tree from being uprooted. We could not prevent every murder of a worker in an orchard or a family in their beds. But it was in our power to set high price for our blood, a price too high for the Arab community, the Arab army, or the Arab governments to think it worth paying... It was in our power to cause the Arab governments to renounce 'the policy of strength' toward Israel by turning it into a demonstration of weakness.
Tradition! We scarcely know the word anymore. We are afraid to be either proud of our ancestors or ashamed of them. We scorn nobility in name and in fact. We cling to a bourgeois mediocrity which would make it appear we are all Americans, made in the image and likeness of George Washington.
The rain that fell on the city runs down the dark gutters and empties into the sea without even soaking the ground
One man's death: that is a catastrophe. A hundred thousand dead: that is a statistic
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.