This site is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Alan William Smolowe who gave birth to the creation of this database.
Suzanne LaFollette, fully Suzanne Clara La Follette
Real freedom is not a matter of the shifting of advantage from one sex to the other or from one class to another. Real freedom means the disappearance of advantage, and primarily or economic advantage.
Wilferd Peterson, fully Wilferd Arlan Peterson
Freedom is an open door, but you must walk through it... Freedom is an invitation to be creative... Freedom is the right to be yourself, to make mistakes, to fail and try again. No failure is final; freedom always gives you another chance.
We are so concerned to flatter the majority that we lose sight of how very often it is necessary, in order to preserve freedom for the minority, let alone for the individual, to face that majority down.
Freedom | Individual | Majority | Order |
Thornton Wilder, fully Thornton Niven Wilder
The more decisions that you are faced to make alone, the more you are aware of your freedom to choose.
Freedom |
Bertrand Russell, fully Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell
The freedom we should seek is not the right to oppress others, but the right to live as we choose and think as we choose where our doing so does not prevent others from doing likewise.
Ahad HaAm, pen name, born Asher Zvi Hirsch Ginsberg
What is national freedom if not a people's inner freedom to cultivate its abilities along the beaten path of its history?
We are in the grip of a scientific materialism, caught in a vicious cycle where our security today seems to depend on regimentation and weapons which will ruin us tomorrow… the intellectual achievements of great scientists are being perverted by the material exploitation of industry and war…I have lived to experience the early results of scientific materialism… have watched pride of workmanship leave and human character decline as efficiency of production lines increased… I have seen the science I worshipped and the aircraft I loved destroying the civilization I expected them to save.
Character | Civilization | Efficiency | Experience | Industry | Materialism | Pride | Science | Security | Tomorrow | War | Weapons | Will |
Demanding security and certainty prevents peace of mind. No human has the omniscience to foresee everything. Always realize the unexpected can occur. Plan as much as is appropriate, but realize that regardless of how much you plan there will always be difficulties that you had previously not imagined. By expecting there will always be unexpected occurrences and accepting them, you will have much greater peace of mind than if you have unrealistic expectations of complete control. A person would be making a big mistake if he felt that the way to peace of mind is to obtain complete security from all risks... Uncertainty is inevitable... The demand for success is detrimental to peace of mind... Keep your focus on trying to accomplish with the best of your ability.
Ability | Control | Focus | Inevitable | Mind | Mistake | Omniscience | Peace | Plan | Security | Success | Uncertainty | Will |
People can only exhibit freedom in proportion to their comprehension of existence and grander realities. Only through an expanded knowledge, wisdom and the understanding of greater truths, do people have a greater capacity to express their freedom.
Capacity | Existence | Freedom | Knowledge | People | Understanding | Wisdom |
Bertrand Russell, fully Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell
The fundamental argument for freedom of opinion is the doubtfulness of all our beliefs. If we certainly knew the truth, there would be something to be said for teaching it. But in that case it could be taught without invoking authority, by means of its inherent reasonableness.
David Eli Lilienthal, "Mr. TVA"
Whether happiness or unhappiness, freedom or slavery, in short whether good or evil results from an improved environment depends largely upon how the change has been brought about, upon the methods by which the physical results have been reached, and in what spirit and for what purpose the fruits of that change are used. Because a higher standard of living, a greater productiveness and a command over nature are not good in and of themselves do not mean that we cannot make good of them, that they cannot be a source of inner strength.
Change | Evil | Freedom | Good | Nature | Purpose | Purpose | Slavery | Spirit | Strength | Unhappiness | Happiness |
The spiritual life is indeed a life of struggle; but it is also a life of well-grounded hope. Hope is grounded in freedom, and freedom is grounded in all the high purposes and powers of spirit, human and divine. The last word of spirit is Victory.
Edward Bernays, fully Edward Louis Bernays
The engineering of consent is the very essence of the democratic process, the freedom to persuade and suggest.
Freedom |