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Standing in the presence of the Unknown, all have the same right to think, and all are equally interested in the great questions of origin and destiny. All I claim, all I plead for, is liberty of thought and expression. That is all. I do not pretend to tell what is absolutely true, but what I think is true. I do not pretend to tell all the truth. I do not claim that I have floated level with the heights of thought, or that I have descended to the very depths of things. I simply claim that what ideas I have, I have a right to express; and that any man who denies that right to me is an intellectual thief and robber. That is all.

Robert G. Ingersoll#39

FreedomTruthThinkingEqualityFree speechExpression

About this quote

What does it mean?
Everyone has an equal right to think and express their views on life's big questions. Ingersoll claims only for liberty of thought, acknowledging he does not possess absolute truth.
In plain terms
Everyone has the right to think and speak their truth, even if it is not absolute.
What can you take from it?
Defend your right to think and express ideas freely.

Where it applies

  • debates on free speech
  • philosophical discussions
  • religious tolerance contexts

Putting it to work

  • advocating for free speech
  • practicing open dialogue
  • respecting diverse views

Questions to consider

  • What rights do you hold most dear in inquiry?
  • Is there such a thing as absolute truth?

Another view

Absolute liberty of expression can sometimes conflict with safety or harm prevention.

More from Robert G. Ingersoll

  1. Only a few years ago there was a great awakening of the human mind. Men began to inquire by what right a crowned robber made them work for him? The man who ask…

    Permalink to quote #38
  2. The good men, the good women, are tired of the whip and lash in the realm of thought. They remember the chain and fagot with a shudder. They are free, and they…

    Permalink to quote #40
  3. Nothing has been left undone by the enemies of freedom. Every art and artifice, every cruelty and outrage has been practiced and perpetrated to destroy the rig…

    Permalink to quote #37

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