The love of liberty that is not a real principle of dutiful behavior to authority is as hypocritical as the religion that is not productive of a good life.
Interpretation
True love for freedom must be accompanied by a sense of duty towards authority; otherwise, it is hypocritical.
Joseph Butler's quote emphasizes the importance of balancing the love of freedom with respect for authority. He argues that a genuine love for liberty should naturally lead to a sense of responsibility, much like a true religion should inspire ethical living. Without this adherence to moral conduct, both liberty and religion become hollow and hypocritical expressions, losing their true meaning and significance in fostering a good life.
In practice
In a discussion about civil rights and responsibilities, this quote can highlight the importance of accountability in the pursuit of freedom.
The private interest of the individual would not be sufficiently provided for by reasonable and cool self-love alone; therefore the appetites and passions are placed within as a guard and further security, without which it would not be taken due care of.
Both our senses and our passions are a supply to the imperfection of our nature; thus they show that we are such sort of creatures as to stand in need of those helps which higher orders of creatures do not.
However, without considering this connection, there is no doubt but that more good than evil, more delight than sorrow, arises from compassion itself; there being so many things which balance the sorrow of it.
There is a much more exact correspondence between the natural and moral world than we are apt to take notice of.
God Almighty is, to be sure, unmoved by passion or appetite, unchanged by affection; but then it is to be added that He neither sees nor hears nor perceives things by any senses like ours; but in a manner infinitely more perfect.
That which is the foundation of all our hopes and of all our fears; all our hopes and fears which are of any consideration; I mean a Future Life.
Take a deep breath and tell us your deepest, darkest secret, so we can wipe our brow and know that we're not alone.
In all ages the people have honored those who dishonored them. They have worshiped their destroyers; they have canonized the most gigantic liars, and buried the great thieves in marble and gold. Under the loftiest monuments sleeps the dust of murder.
In the century now dawning, spirituality, visionary consciousness, and the ability to build and mend human relationships will be more important for the fate and safety of this nation than our capacity to forcefully subdue an enemy. Creating the world we want is a much more subtle but more powerful mode of operation than destroying the one we don't want.
We all live in suspense, from day to day, from hour to hour; in other words, we are the hero of our own story.
To the socialist no nation is free whose national existence is based upon the enslavement of another people, for to him colonial peoples, too, are peoples, and, as such, parts of the national state.
"Bombing Afghanistan back into the Stone Age" was quite a favourite headline for some wobbly liberals. The slogan does all the work. But an instant's thought shows that Afghanistan is being, if anything, bombed OUT of the Stone Age.
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