There is no such crime as a crime of thought; there are only crimes of action.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- People should not be punished for their thoughts, only for their actions.
- In plain terms
- Thinking is not a crime, doing wrong things is.
- What can you take from it?
- Freedom of thought must be protected from punishment.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Where do we draw the line on speech?
- Should internal thoughts be monitored?
Another view
Thoughts can lead to actions that harm others.
More from Clarence Darrow
The trouble with law is lawyers.
Permalink to quote #65 To think is to differ.
Permalink to quote #67 The first half of our lives are ruined by our parents and the second half by our children.
Permalink to quote #64
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