A society that will trade a little liberty for a little order will lose both, and deserve neither.
Attribution disputed; shown as originally published.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Trading liberty for order is a false bargain that ultimately destroys both values.
- In plain terms
- Giving up freedom for safety costs you both freedom and safety.
- What can you take from it?
- Protect liberty to maintain true order.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What freedoms have you traded for convenience?
- Is order possible without liberty?
Another view
Some temporary restrictions may be necessary during genuine emergencies.
More from John Stuart Mill
That which seems the height of absurdity in one generation often becomes the height of wisdom in the next.
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