---
title: "1 Think Independently Quotes By Henry Steele Commager"
description: "1 Think Independently quotes by Henry Steele Commager. Plus more from Henry Steele Commager and more Think Independently sayings from other authors."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8aa/henry-steele-commager-16894_atmosphere_we-cannot-have-a-society-half-slave-and_1135249.jpg"
---

> [We cannot have a society half slave and half free; nor can we have thought half slave and half free. If we create an atmosphere in which men fear to think independently, inquire fearlessly, express themselves freely, we will in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-steele-commager/we-cannot-have-a-society-half-slave-and-half-free-nor-can-we-have/)

[Henry Steele Commager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-steele-commager/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8aa/henry-steele-commager-16894_atmosphere_we-cannot-have-a-society-half-slave-and_1135249.jpg)

## More by Henry Steele Commager

> [It's awfully hard to be the son of a great man and also of a half-crazy woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-steele-commager/it-s-awfully-hard-to-be-the-son-of-a-great-man-and-also-of-a-half/)

[Henry Steele Commager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-steele-commager/)

> [America was born of revolt, flourished in dissent, became great through experimentation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-steele-commager/america-was-born-of-revolt-flourished-in-dissent-became-great-through/)

[Henry Steele Commager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-steele-commager/)

> [The American people...have a stake in non-conformity. For they know that the American genius is non-conformist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-steele-commager/the-american-people-have-a-stake-in-non-conformity-for-they-know-that/)

[Henry Steele Commager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-steele-commager/)

> [We should not be surprised that the Founding Fathers didn't foresee everything, when we see that the current Fathers hardly ever foresee anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-steele-commager/we-should-not-be-surprised-that-the-founding-fathers-didn-t-foresee/)

[Henry Steele Commager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-steele-commager/)

> [We should not forget that our tradition is one of protest and revolt, and it is stultifying to celebrate the rebels of the past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-steele-commager/we-should-not-forget-that-our-tradition-is-one-of-protest-and-revolt/)

[Henry Steele Commager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-steele-commager/)

> [The justification and the purpose of freedom of speech is not to indulge those who want to speak their minds. It is to prevent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-steele-commager/the-justification-and-the-purpose-of-freedom-of-speech-is-not-to/)

[Henry Steele Commager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-steele-commager/)

> [“A free society cherishes nonconformity. It knows that from the non-conformist, from the eccentric, have come many of the great ideas of freedom. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-steele-commager/a-free-society-cherishes-nonconformity-it-knows-that-from-the-non/)

[Henry Steele Commager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-steele-commager/)

> [The fact is that censorship always defeats its own purpose, for it creates, in the end, the kind of society that is incapable of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-steele-commager/the-fact-is-that-censorship-always-defeats-its-own-purpose-for-it/)

[Henry Steele Commager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-steele-commager/)

> [A free society cherishes nonconformity. It knows from the non-conformist, from the eccentric, have come many of the great ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-steele-commager/a-free-society-cherishes-nonconformity-it-knows-from-the-non/)

[Henry Steele Commager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-steele-commager/)

> [History is organized memory, and the organization is all important!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-steele-commager/history-is-organized-memory-and-the-organization-is-all-important/)

[Henry Steele Commager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-steele-commager/)

> [It seems fair to say that while the moral standards of the nineteenth century persisted almost unchanged into the twentieth, moral practices changed sharply,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-steele-commager/it-seems-fair-to-say-that-while-the-moral-standards-of-the-nineteenth/)

[Henry Steele Commager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-steele-commager/)

> [ In the long run \[censorship\] will create a generation incapable of appreciating the difference between independence of thought and subservience. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-steele-commager/in-the-long-run-censorship-will-create-a-generation-incapable-of/)

[Henry Steele Commager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-steele-commager/)

> [History, we can confidently assert, is useful in the sense that art and music, poetry and flowers, religion and philosophy are useful. Without it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-steele-commager/history-we-can-confidently-assert-is-useful-in-the-sense-that-art-and/)

[Henry Steele Commager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-steele-commager/)

> [Whether history will judge this war to be different or not we cannot say. But this we can say with certainty: A government and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-steele-commager/whether-history-will-judge-this-war-to-be-different-or-not-we-cannot/)

[Henry Steele Commager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-steele-commager/)

> [We cannot have a society half slave and half free; nor can we have thought half slave and half free. If we create an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-steele-commager/we-cannot-have-a-society-half-slave-and-half-free-nor-can-we-have/)

[Henry Steele Commager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-steele-commager/)

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