83 Academic Freedom Quotes

Following is our list of academic freedom quotations and slogans full of insightful wisdom and perspective about freedom of speech.

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Famous Academic Freedom Quotes

As an academic, I value the free exchange of ideas. — Gad Saad

A university's essential character is that of being a center of free inquiry and criticism - a thing not to be sacrificed for anything else. — Richard Hofstadter

Freedom is absolutely necessary for the progress in science and the liberal arts. — Baruch Spinoza

Universities should be safe havens where ruthless examination of realities will not be distorted by the aim to please or inhibited by the risk of displeasure. — Kingman Brewster, Jr.

Students must have initiative; they should not be mere imitators. They must learn to think and act for themselves - and be free. — Cesar Chavez

Freedom of thought and freedom of speech in our great institutions are absolutely necessary for the preservation of our country. The moment either is restricted, liberty begins to wither and die. — John Peter Altgeld

University students should rightly be exposed to a plurality of viewpoints as part of their intellectual growth, rather attending the 'flock of sheep association of like-minded individuals.' — Gad Saad

The goal of education is the advancement of knowledge and the dissemination of truth. — John F. Kennedy

Teachers must be encouraged - I almost said 'freed', to pursue an education that strives for depth of understanding. — Howard Gardner

An unconditional right to say what one pleases about public affairs is what I consider to be the minimum guarantee of the First Amendment. — Hugo Black

The freedom of the press should be inviolate. — John Quincy Adams

A University should be a place of light, of liberty, and of learning. — Benjamin Disraeli

There is freedom of speech, but I cannot guarantee freedom after speech - Idi Amin

There is freedom of speech, but I cannot guarantee freedom after speech — Idi Amin

Give me the liberty to know, to utter, and to argue freely according to conscience, above all liberties. — John Milton

If our hard-earned liberty, our desire to be irreverent of the old and to question the new, can be reduced to one, basic, and indispensable right, it must be the right to free speech. — Maajid Nawaz

Intellectual Freedom Quotes

Don't join the book burners! — Dwight D. Eisenhower

What I was utterly convinced of, and still am, is the idea that the only responsibility the free intellectual has is vis-a-vis himself. He is not responsible to either a political party or a ruler. — Tawfiq al-Hakim

I think the freedom to express one's views is more important than intellectual property. — Shepard Fairey

Academic freedom quote Fools take the knife and stab people in the back. The wise take a knife, cut the cord and free thems
Fools take the knife and stab people in the back. The wise take a knife, cut the cord and free themselves from the fools.

Intellectual freedom means the right to re-examine much that has been long taken for granted. A free man must be a reasoning man, and he must dare doubt what a legislative or electoral majority may most passionately assert. — Robert H. Jackson

Mental slavery is mental death, and every man who has given up his intellectual freedom is the living coffin of his dead soul. — Robert Green Ingersoll

Intellectual freedom is the only guarantee of a scientific - democratic approach to politics, economic development, and culture. — Andrei Sakharov

Academic freedom quote Better to die fighting for freedom than be a prisoner all the days of your life.
Better to die fighting for freedom than be a prisoner all the days of your life.

Intellectual freedom depends upon material things. — Virginia Woolf

There is nothing wrong with intellectual differences flowing from freedom of thought as long as such differences remain confined to intellectual debates. — Pervez Musharraf

My father had retained an emotional affection for the ceremonial of his parental home, without allowing it to influence his intellectual freedom — Franz Boas

The history of intellectual growth and discovery clearly demonstrates the need for unfettered freedom, the right to think the unthinkable, discuss the unmentionable, and challenge the unchallengeable. — C. Vann Woodward

Freedom Of Speech Quotes

People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use. — Soren Kierkegaard

Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. — Martin Luther King, Jr.

Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech. — Benjamin Franklin

Academic freedom quote Fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free.
Fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free.

We want deeper sincerity of motive, a greater courage in speech and earnestness in action. — Sarojini Naidu

Proclaim the truth and do not be silent through fear. — St. Catherine of Siena

Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost. — Thomas Jefferson

Academic freedom quote One of the greatest mental freedoms is truly not caring what anyone else thinks of you.
One of the greatest mental freedoms is truly not caring what anyone else thinks of you.

I had a right to my own political opinions. I am a Southern woman, born with Revolutionary blood in my veins. Freedom of speech and of thought were my birthright, guaranteed, signed and sealed by the blood of our fathers. — Rose O'Neal Greenhow

Without general elections, without freedom of the press, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, without the free battle of opinions, life in every public institution withers away, becomes a caricature of itself, and bureaucracy rises as the only deciding factor. — Rosa Luxemburg

Freedom of the press is not just important to democracy, it is democracy. - Walter Cronkite

Freedom of the press is not just important to democracy, it is democracy. — Walter Cronkite

Free expression is the base of human rights, the root of human nature and the mother of truth. To kill free speech is to insult human rights, to stifle human nature and to suppress truth. — Liu Xiaobo

Free Speech Quotes

Everyone is in favor of free speech. Hardly a day passes without its being extolled, but some people's idea of it is that they are free to say what they like, but if anyone else says anything back, that is an outrage. — Winston Churchill

We live in a country that talks about being the home of the brave and the land of the free, and we have the highest incarceration rate in the world. — Bryan Stevenson

I believe America went wrong in terms of respecting the First Amendment, the state of free speech on American college campuses and on the media and in academia. — Milo Yiannopoulos

Academic freedom quote A friend is someone who gives you total freedom to be yourself.
A friend is someone who gives you total freedom to be yourself.

Americans' right to free speech should not be proportionate to their bank accounts. — Bernie Sanders

Goebbels was in favor of free speech for views he liked. So was Stalin. If you’re really in favor of free speech, then you’re in favor of freedom of speech for precisely the views you despise. Otherwise, you’re not in favor of free speech. — Noam Chomsky

I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it. — Evelyn Beatrice Hall

Academic freedom quote Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.
Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.

If there be time to expose through discussion the falsehood and fallacies, to avert the evil by the processes of education, the remedy to be applied is more speech, not enforced silence. — Louis D. Brandeis

It is the function of speech to free men from the bondage of irrational fears. - Louis D. Brandeis

It is the function of speech to free men from the bondage of irrational fears. — Louis D. Brandeis

Elon Musk acquiring Twitter is a big win for free speech. — Lex Fridman

Free speech is not just a right, but a necessary component of a healthy society. — Bret Weinstein

Freedom Of Expression Quotes

A loving relationship is one in which the loved one is free to be himself -- to laugh with me, but never at me; to cry with me, but never because of me; to love life, to love himself, to love being loved. Such a relationship is based upon freedom and can never grow in a jealous heart — Leo Buscaglia

We look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms. The first is freedom of speech and expression. The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way. The third is freedom from want. The fourth is freedom from fear. — Franklin D. Roosevelt

If we don't believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don't believe in it at all. — Noam Chomsky

Academic freedom quote I prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery.
I prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery.

Contrary to popular misconception, Islam does not mean peace but rather means submission to the commands of Allah alone. Therefore, Muslims do not believe in the concept of freedom of expression, as their speech and actions are determined by divine revelation and not based on people's desires. — Anjem Choudary

Young players need freedom of expression to develop as creative players... they should be encouraged to try skills without fear of failure. — Arsene Wenger

I certainly was one of the instigators in the 1960s of freedom of expression. - Sally Kirkland

I certainly was one of the instigators in the 1960s of freedom of expression. — Sally Kirkland

Academic freedom quote WIth freedom, books, flowers, and the moon, who could not be happy.
WIth freedom, books, flowers, and the moon, who could not be happy.

A person who doesn't breathe deeply reduces the life of his body. If he doesn't move freely, he restricts the life of his body. If he doesn't feel fully, he narrows the life of his body. And if his self-expression is constricted, he limits the life of his body. — Alexander Lowen

What is freedom of expression? Without the freedom to offend, it ceases to exist. — Salman Rushdie

If there is a bedrock principle underlying the First Amendment, it is that the government may not prohibit the expression of an idea simply because society finds the idea itself offensive or disagreeable. — William J. Brennan

Voting is not an act of political freedom. It is an act of political conformity. Those who refuse to vote are not expressing silence. They are screaming in the politician's ear: 'You do not represent me. This is not a process in which my voice matters. I do not believe you.' — Wendy McElroy

People Writing About Academic Freedom

Name Quotes Likes
Read quotes by Gad Saad

Gad Saad
quotes on happiness, evolutionary psychology and education

138 83
Read quotes by Richard Hofstadter

Richard Hofstadter
quotes on religion, democracy and government

37 313
Read quotes by Baruch Spinoza

Baruch Spinoza
quotes on god, death and life

218 2639
Read quotes by Kingman Brewster, Jr.

Kingman Brewster, Jr.
quotes on slavery, education and leadership

19 280
Read quotes by Cesar Chavez

Cesar Chavez
quotes on education, justice and leadership

163 4911
Read quotes by John F. Kennedy

John F. Kennedy
quotes on democracy, leadership and change

771 13677

More Academic Freedom Quotes

The hope of a secure and livable world lies with disciplined nonconformists, who are dedicated to justice, peace and brotherhood. The trailblazers in human, academic, scientific and religious freedom have always been nonconformists. In any cause that concerns the progress of mankind, put your faith in the nonconformist! — Martin Luther King, Jr.

The phrase 'academic freedom' is often used carelessly: here is a work that will allow a more careful conversation about those many crucial issues facing the academy, in which a well-worked out understanding of conceptions of academic freedom is, as its authors show, an essential tool. — Kwame Anthony Appiah

The trailblazers in human, academic, scientific and religious freedom have always been nonconformists. — Martin Luther King, Jr.

Academic freedom quote Freedom is the right to be wrong, not the right to do wrong.
Freedom is the right to be wrong, not the right to do wrong.

The most important aspect of freedom of speech is freedom to learn. All education is a continuous dialogue - questions and answers that pursue every problem on the horizon. That is the essence of academic freedom. — William O. Douglas

Academic freedom really means freedom of inquiry. To be able to probe according to one's own interest, knowledge and conscience is the most important freedom the scholar has, and part of that process is to state its results. — Donald Kennedy

It's a good thing that we're protected by tenure and academic freedom, but we should realize that it creates a risk of getting cut off. Scholars should write, at least sometimes, for the general public. — Martha C. Nussbaum

Academic freedom quote I don't have to be what you want me to be. I'm free to be wh
I don't have to be what you want me to be. I'm free to be what I want.

Can a geology teacher blithely tell his students that the earth is flat, or a European history professor that the Holocaust didn't happen? That's not academic freedom, but dereliction of duty. — Jerry A. Coyne

Build your schools around concepts, not academic subjects: core concepts such as awareness, honesty, responsibility, freedom and diversity in oneness. Teach your children these things and you will have taught them grandly. — Neale Donald Walsch

Freedom of speech is not an academic value. Accuracy of speech is an academic value; completeness of speech is an academic value; relevance of speech is an academic value. Each of these is directly related to the goal of academic inquiry: getting a matter of fact right. — Stanley Fish

In Britain the power of authority was weakened. There was much more individual freedom and there was great academic freedom. — Michael Craig-Martin

Academic freedom is being lost by a great many people who dare to challenge Darwinism. That's a terrifying situation. That's contrary to the principles of science. — Ben Stein

I also believe that academic freedom should protect the right of a professor or student to advocate Marxism, socialism, communism, or any other minority viewpoint - no matter how distasteful to the majority, provided... — Richard M. Nixon

To the extent that tenure supports academic freedom, I support tenure. I want no person or system to have any power, real or apparent, to chill academic freedom. — James E. Rogers

To the extent that tenure supports academic freedom, I support tenure. I want no person or system to have any power, real or apparent, to chill academic freedom. — James E. Rogers, Jr.

Much literary criticism comes from people for whom extreme specialization is a cover for either grave cerebral inadequacy or terminal laziness, the latter being a much cherished aspect of academic freedom. — John Kenneth Galbraith

There's actually a wonderful quote from Stanley Fish, who is sometimes very polemical and with whom I don't always agree. He writes, "Freedom of speech is not an academic value. Accuracy of speech is an academic value; completeness of speech is an academic value; relevance of speech is an academic value. Each of these is directly related to the goal of academic inquiry: getting a matter of fact right." — Joan Wallach Scott

Freedom of speech is about expressing your opinion, however bad or good, however right or wrong, and being able to defend it and argue it and be argued with about it in public forums. But that's not what academic freedom is about. That's not what the classroom is about. — Joan Wallach Scott

The university is the place where the pursuit of truth is taught, the rules for learning how to pursue it are explained, and students begin to understand how to evaluate the seriousness of truth. Those are incredibly important lessons, and only the teachers' academic freedom can protect them because there will always be people who disagree with or disapprove of the ideas they are trying to convey. — Joan Wallach Scott

When a profession is protected by academic freedom and tenure, it tends to turn inward. To a large extent that's good. — Martha C. Nussbaum

There are, however, many challenges to Asian universities. First, academic freedom, in all senses, is much more critical to the success of a university than how much money is spent on infrastructure or on hiring big names. Faculty need to have the space to pursue the research that they are passionate about and the also need to have the freedom to express their opinions in the university, and in the society as a whole. — Henry Rosovsky

While the universities are increasingly corporatized and militarized, their governing structures are becoming more authoritarian, faculty are being devalued as public intellectuals, students are viewed as clients, academic fields are treated as economic domains for providing credentials, and work place skills, and academic freedom is under assault. — Henry Giroux

I think the impacts of 9/11 on academic freedom vary greatly depending on locale and time (softening with the passage of time), and even within the same community, and likely within the same schools. This variability makes it difficult to offer generalized responses without accompanying caveats. — Richard A. Falk

I want you to have all the academic freedom you want as long as you wind up saying the bible account (of creation) is true and all others are not. — Jerry Falwell

By academic freedom I understand the right to search for truth and to publish and teach what one holds to be true. This right implies also a duty: one must not conceal any part of what on has recognized to be true. It is evident that any restriction on academic freedom acts in such a way as to hamper the dissemination of knowledge among the people and thereby impedes national judgment and action. — Albert Einstein

Yes, it is hard out there. But hard is relative. I come from a middle-class family, my parents are academics. I was born after the Civil Rights movement, I was a toddler during the women's movement, I live in the United States of America, all of which means I am allowed to own my freedom, my rights, my voice and my uterus. — Shonda Rhimes

It is completely in accord with the etatist thinking prevalent everywhere today to consider a theory to be finally disposed of merely because the authorities who control appointments to academic positions, want to know nothing of it, and to see the criterion of truth in the approval of a government office. — Ludwig von Mises

MIT is governed by a second, even higher rule: the inalienable right of academic freedom. — Nicholas Negroponte

By academic freedom I understand the right to search for truth and to publish and teach what one holds to be true. This right also implies a duty: one must not conceal any part of what one has recognized to be true. — Albert Einstein

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