The test of democracy is freedom of criticism.
David Ben-GurionRead
Without moral and intellectual independence, there is no anchor for national independence.
Interpretation
What this quote means
National independence relies on the moral and intellectual freedom of its people.
David Ben-Gurion asserts that true national independence is not only about political sovereignty but also hinges on the moral and intellectual autonomy of its citizens. Without individuals who possess the ability to think independently and uphold ethical standards, a nation may struggle to maintain its freedom and integrity.
Themes
IndependenceMoralityIntellectFreedomNational
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a speech about the importance of education for a free society.
More from David Ben-Gurion
All quotes βWe offer peace and neighborliness to all the neighboring states and their peoples, and invite them to cooperate with the independent Hebrew nation for the common good of all.
David Ben-GurionRead
Anyone who believes you can't change history has never tried to write his memoirs.
David Ben-GurionRead
Those who today murdered our people in an ambush not only plotted to murder some Jews but intended to provoke us... The Arabs stand to gain from such a development. They want the country to be in a state of perpetual pogrom.... Any further bloodshed [by the Jews] will only bring political advantage to the Arabs and harm us... Our strength is in the defense... and this strength will give us political victory if England and the world will know that we are defending ourselves rather than attacking.
David Ben-GurionRead
After eighty, there are no enemies, only survivors.
David Ben-GurionRead
We do not want to create a situation like that which exists in South Africa, where the whites are the owners and rulers, and the blacks are the workers. If we do not do all kinds of work, easy and hard, skilled and unskilled, if we become merely landlords, then this will not be our homeland
David Ben-GurionRead
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The man who sat on the ground in his tipi meditating on life and its meaning, accepting the kinship of all creatures and acknowledging unity with the universe of things, was infusing into his being the true essence of civilization.
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In a society where the roles everyone plays are obvious, the refusal to conform to any standard will excite interest. Be both masculine and feminine, impudent and charming, subtle and outrageous. Let other people worry about being socially acceptable; those types are a dime a dozen, and you are after a power greater than they can imagine.
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A lion among ladies is a most dreadful thing.
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Abstract truth has no value unless it incarnates in human beings who represent it, by proving their readiness to die for it.
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