Commit Quote by A.C. Grayling
![“Perhaps worse still is what liberal societies might do to themselves in the face of this new and different threat [of terrorism]. They begin, by small but dangerous increments, to cease to be as liberal as they once were. They begin to restrict their own hard-won rights and freedoms as a…” quote by A.C. Grayling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/42e/a-c-grayling-9398_commit_perhaps-worse-still-is-what-liberal-soci_374837.jpg)
“Perhaps worse still is what liberal societies might do to themselves in the face of this new and different threat [of terrorism]. They begin, by small but dangerous increments, to cease to be as liberal as they once were. They begin to restrict their own hard-won rights and freedoms as a protection against the crminial minority who attempt (and as we thus see, by forcing liberty to commit suidcide, succed in doing) to terrorise society.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: “Liberalism and Terrorism”, 2020s
Societies may erode freedoms incrementally when fearing threats, risking loss of liberal values.
In simple terms: Fear can shrink liberty.
Key Takeaway
Guard freedoms even under threat.
Themes
politics
freedom
security
terrorism
Mood
cautious
analytical
Type
philosophical
political
When to use this quote
- policy making
- public debate
- civil liberties activism
Key Concepts
philosophy
political theory
Questions to Reflect On
- How to balance safety and liberty?
- What safeguards prevent rights erosion?
A Different Perspective
Security measures can be overreaching.
![“I was right outside the NSA [on 9/11], so I remember the tension on that day. I remember hearing on the radio, 'the plane's hitting,' and I remember thinking my grandfather, who worked for the FBI at the time, was in the Pentagon when the plane hit it...I take the threat of terrorism seriously…” quote by Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e2e/edward-snowden-555_corrupt_i-was-right-outside-the-nsa-on-9-11-so-i_720447.jpg)
![“The notion that evil is non-rational is a more significant claim for Eagleton than at first appears, because he is (in this book [ On Evil ] as in others of his recent 'late period' prolific burst) anxious to rewrite theology: God (whom he elsewhere tells us is nonexistent, but this is no barrier…” quote by A.C. Grayling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/6a5/a-c-grayling-9398_atheism_the-notion-that-evil-is-non-rational-is_599668.jpg)
