Ignazio Silone Quote

“Liberty is the possibility of doubting, the possibility of making a mistake, the possibility of searching and experimenting, the possibility of saying “No” to any authority -- literary, artistic, philosophic, religious, social and even political.”

~ Ignazio Silone

The God That Failed, 1950

Ratings and Comments


cal, lewisville, tx

Oh yeah!

J Carlton, Calgary

The possibility of doing your own thinking?

Mike, Norwalk

almost accurate; a very good start, just missed by thaaaat much.

dick, fort worth

On this we can agree. That's a good sign.

E Archer, NYC

That's an integral part, for sure, but it is not the only thing that Liberty is.

Waffler, Smith

Sounds a little like "openmindedness" to be. The Republic crowd seems to think every thing was absolutely perfect at the founding at that the founders were some kind of mistake proof gods.

J Carlton, Calgary

Not mistake proof Waffler. Simply men who had just fought to vanquish tyranny and establish a nation where individual rights reigned supreme. Moral men who enshrined liberty as the most basic of tenets. But...you wouldn't understand...

L. Hanson, Edmonton, Canada

We must be particularly vigilant when those who would be our leaders masquerade as mistake-proof and error-free; when they only seek to subvert and defile the very foundations that originally gave us freedom.

Mike, Norwalk

Waffler, WHAT ? ? ? again your ad hominem is off topic and without merit. There are several here you would call "the Republic crowd" and, not an ill word was said. If "the Republic crowd" thought that everything was absolutely perfect at the founding they would not have agreed with the questioning of every thing and every one.

Jim M.
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  • Reply
    Jim M.    10/28/11

    You must read what they wrote while trying to define, and draw up the founding papers. Look at the provisions for change. They knew that they were not perfect, but they did their best,

    Patrick Henry, Red Hill

    In its most sublime exemplification, Liberty is constituted of, and defined by, the unconstrained by ideology or prejudice right of the Sovereign Individual to do the right thing, in the right way, at the right time and for the right reason, according to the dictates of his or her illumined by right reason conscience.

    Robert, Chula Vista

    "The God that failed."? God cannot fail. Humans fail.

    @

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