Above all things I hope the education of the common people will be attended to; convinced that on their good sense we may rely with most security for the preservation of a due degree of liberty.
Interpretation
Education is crucial for the well-being of society and the protection of liberty.
In this quote, Thomas Jefferson emphasizes the importance of educating the general population. He believes that the common people's ability to think critically and make informed decisions is vital for maintaining liberty and a healthy society. By investing in education, society can foster a sense of responsibility and civic engagement among its members, which is foundational for preserving freedom.
In practice
This quote can be used in a speech advocating for educational reforms.
The firmness with which the (American) people have withstood the... abuses of the press, the discernment they have manifested between truth and falsehood, show that they may safely be trusted to hear everything true and false and to form a correct judgment between them.
I, place economy among the first & most important republican virtues, & public debt as the greatest of the dangers to be feared
We must make our choice between economy and liberty or confusion and servitude...If we run into such debts, we must be taxed in our meat and drink, in our necessities and comforts, in our labor and in our amusements...if we can prevent the government from wasting the labor of the people, under the pretense of caring for them, they will be happy.
Very many and very meritorious were the worthy patriots who assisted in bringing back our government to its republican tack. To preserve it in that, will require unremitting vigilance.
A nation, as a society, forms a moral person, and every member of it is personally responsible for his society.
Timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the tempestuous sea of liberty.
It is chiefly through books that we enjoy intercourse with superior minds. In the best books, great men talk to us, give us their most precious thoughts, and pour their souls into ours.
One of the great things about books is you can afford to do anything.
It appears to me that if one wants to make progress in mathematics, one should study the masters and not the pupils.
Learning is never cumulative, it is a movement of knowing which has no beginning and no end.
Often the grind of book promotion wearies you of your own book - though at the same time this frees you from its clutches.
Respect children because they're human beings and they deserve respect, and they'll grow up to be better people.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.