'Censorship always defeats its own purpose, for it creates in the end the kind of society that is incapable of exercising real discretion.'
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Censorship defeats itself by creating a society unable to exercise real discretion.
- In plain terms
- Censorship backfires, making people less able to judge for themselves.
- What can you take from it?
- Resist censorship to preserve critical thinking.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- When is censorship justified?
- How can societies balance safety and freedom?
Another view
Some content may be harmful and require moderation.
More from Henry Steele Commager
'Change does not necessarily assure progress, but progress implacably requires change. Education is essential to change, for education creates both new wants a…
Permalink to quote #4 'The greatest danger we face is not any particular kind of thought. The greatest danger we face is absence of thought.'
Permalink to quote #6 'If our democracy is to flourish, it must have criticism; if our government is to function it must have dissent.'
Permalink to quote #3
Related quotes
I honestly don't understand the big fuss made over nudity and sex in films. It's silly. On TV, the children can watch people murdering each other, which is a v…
Sharon TateSharon Tate quote #2 At least one way of measuring the freedom of any society is the amount of comedy that is permitted, and clearly a healthy society permits more satirical commen…
Eric IdleEric Idle quote #5 If I were to say what I really think I would be arrested or shut away in a lunatic asylum. Come on, I am sure that it would be the same for everyone.
Roberto BolanoRoberto Bolano quote #7