--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Intellectual freedom is essential…" description: "\"Intellectual freedom is essential -- freedom to obtain and distribute information, freedom for open-minded and unfearing debate and freedom from pressu..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79a/andrei-sakharov-25629_bloody_intellectual-freedom-is-essential-freedo_307173.jpg" --- # Intellectual freedom is essential -- freedom to obtain and… ![“Intellectual freedom is essential -- freedom to obtain and distribute information, freedom for open-minded and unfearing debate and freedom from pressure by officialdom and prejudices. Such freedom of thought is the only guarantee against an infection of people by mass myths, which, in the hands…” quote by Andrei Sakharov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79a/andrei-sakharov-25629_bloody_intellectual-freedom-is-essential-freedo_307173.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79a/andrei-sakharov-25629_bloody_intellectual-freedom-is-essential-freedo_307173.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79a/andrei-sakharov-25629_bloody_intellectual-freedom-is-essential-freedo_307173.jpg) > “Intellectual freedom is essential -- freedom to obtain and distribute information, freedom for open-minded and unfearing debate and freedom from pressure by officialdom and prejudices. Such freedom of thought is the only guarantee against an infection of people by mass myths, which, in the hands of treacherous hypocrites and demagogues, can be transformed into bloody dictatorship.” [Andrei Sakharov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrei-sakharov/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Intellectual freedom protects societies from manipulation by allowing open access to information and debate. **In simple terms:** Freedom of thought prevents mass myth infection. Key Takeaway Guard open open discourse. Themes freedom of speech critical thinking democracy Mood concerned defensive Type political philosophical When to use this quote - education reform - media regulation - public policy - academic research Key Concepts human rights information ethics political theory Questions to Reflect On - How do we balance security with open debate? - What role does education play in preserving intellectual freedom? A Different Perspective Freedom can be limited by censorship and propaganda. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Debate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/debate/) [Dictatorship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dictatorship/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Freedom of thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom-of-thought/) [Hypocrite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hypocrite/) [Intellectual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellectual/) [Intellectual freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellectual-freedom/) [Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mass/) [Myth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/myth/) [Open minded](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/open-minded/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Prejudice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prejudice/) [Pressure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pressure/) ## Related quotes > [I think future generations will see the invention of the Internet as having been as important as the invention of the printing press. It’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/i-think-future-generations-will-see-the-invention-of-the-internet-as/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [Access to information and freedom of access to it may seem like a fundamental right but there are many people who think, rightly or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-gonzales/access-to-information-and-freedom-of-access-to-it-may-seem-like-a/) [Alberto Gonzales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-gonzales/) > [The freedom of all is essential to my freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-bakunin/the-freedom-of-all-is-essential-to-my-freedom/) [Mikhail Bakunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-bakunin/) > [Today - wealthier, more powerful and more able than ever before in our history - our Nation can declare another essential freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyndon-b-johnson/today-wealthier-more-powerful-and-more-able-than-ever-before-in-our/) [Lyndon B. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyndon-b-johnson/) > [Knowledge is essential to freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ellery-channing/knowledge-is-essential-to-freedom/) [William Ellery Channing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ellery-channing/) > [Our heroes in the armed forces and our first responders are all essential to the freedom and safety of our great nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-van-drew/our-heroes-in-the-armed-forces-and-our-first-responders-are-all/) [Jeff Van Drew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-van-drew/) > [“...if you could not close a door behind you to take a shit in the city - even if it was just the door…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-s-skind/if-you-could-not-close-a-door-behind-you-to-take-a-shit-in-the-city/) [Patrick Süskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-s-skind/) > [Intellectual freedom is the only guarantee of a scientific - democratic approach to politics, economic development, and culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrei-sakharov/intellectual-freedom-is-the-only-guarantee-of-a-scientific-democratic/) [Andrei Sakharov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrei-sakharov/) > [“If you do not want to stop the wheels of progress; if you do not want to go back to the Dark Ages; if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-lewis/if-you-do-not-want-to-stop-the-wheels-of-progress-if-you-do-not-want/) [Joseph Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-lewis/) > [Growing up in Britain as a rather loose Jew, the two things that didn't belong together were freedom and religious intensity. In America, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-schama/growing-up-in-britain-as-a-rather-loose-jew-the-two-things-that-didn/) [Simon Schama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-schama/) > [“Muslims in the West and those in other intellectually free societies will be in a position to contribute to Islamic thought more so than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abdullah-saeed/muslims-in-the-west-and-those-in-other-intellectually-free-societies/) Abdullah Saeed > [“Therefore I would ask you to write all kinds of books, hesitating at no subject however trivial or however vast. By hook or by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/therefore-i-would-ask-you-to-write-all-kinds-of-books-hesitating-at-2/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“Well, the man who first translated the bible into English was burned at the stake, and they've been at it ever since. Must be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-reynolds-naylor/well-the-man-who-first-translated-the-bible-into-english-was-burned/) [Phyllis Reynolds Naylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-reynolds-naylor/) > [To curtail free expression strikes twice at intellectual freedom, for whoever deprives another of the right to state unpopular views necessarily deprives others of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-vann-woodward/to-curtail-free-expression-strikes-twice-at-intellectual-freedom-for/) [C. Vann Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-vann-woodward/) > [Religion grants its adherents malign, intoxicating and morally corrosive sensations. Destroying intellectual freedom is always evil, but only religion makes doing evil feel quite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/religion-grants-its-adherents-malign-intoxicating-and-morally/) [Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) ## More by Andrei Sakharov > [I could not stop something I knew was wrong and terrible. I had an awful sense of powerlessness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrei-sakharov/i-could-not-stop-something-i-knew-was-wrong-and-terrible-i-had-an/) [Andrei Sakharov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrei-sakharov/) > [History is like a mole, it burrows away unnoticed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrei-sakharov/history-is-like-a-mole-it-burrows-away-unnoticed/) [Andrei Sakharov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrei-sakharov/) > [I regard the death penalty as a savage and immoral institution that undermines the moral and legal foundations of society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrei-sakharov/i-regard-the-death-penalty-as-a-savage-and-immoral-institution-that/) [Andrei Sakharov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrei-sakharov/) > [Profound insights arise only in debate, with a possibility of counterargument, only when there is a possibility of expressing not only correct ideas but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrei-sakharov/profound-insights-arise-only-in-debate-with-a-possibility-of/) [Andrei Sakharov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrei-sakharov/) > [Both now and for always, I intend to hold fast to my belief in the hidden strength of the human spirit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrei-sakharov/both-now-and-for-always-i-intend-to-hold-fast-to-my-belief-in-the/) [Andrei Sakharov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrei-sakharov/) > [Do not trust governments more than governments trust their own people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrei-sakharov/do-not-trust-governments-more-than-governments-trust-their-own-people/) [Andrei Sakharov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrei-sakharov/) > [Intellectual freedom is the only guarantee of a scientific - democratic approach to politics, economic development, and culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrei-sakharov/intellectual-freedom-is-the-only-guarantee-of-a-scientific-democratic/) [Andrei Sakharov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrei-sakharov/) > [In and after 1964 when I began to concern myself with the biological issues, and particularly from 1967 onwards, the extent of the problems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrei-sakharov/in-and-after-1964-when-i-began-to-concern-myself-with-the-biological/) [Andrei Sakharov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrei-sakharov/) > [I regard the death penalty as a savage and immoral institution that undermines the moral and legal foundations of society. I reject the notion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrei-sakharov/i-regard-the-death-penalty-as-a-savage-and-immoral-institution-that-2/) [Andrei Sakharov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrei-sakharov/) > [A country which does not respect the rights of its own citizens will not respect the rights of its neighbours](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrei-sakharov/a-country-which-does-not-respect-the-rights-of-its-own-citizens-will/) [Andrei Sakharov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrei-sakharov/) > [For me, the moral difficulties lie in the continual pressure brought to bear on my friends and immediate family, pressure which is not directed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrei-sakharov/for-me-the-moral-difficulties-lie-in-the-continual-pressure-brought/) [Andrei Sakharov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrei-sakharov/) > [You can't sit on two chairs at once.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrei-sakharov/you-can-t-sit-on-two-chairs-at-once/) [Andrei Sakharov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrei-sakharov/) > [We regard as 'scientific' a method based on deep analysis of facts, theories, and views, presupposing unprejudiced, unfearing open discussion and conclusions. The complexity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrei-sakharov/we-regard-as-scientific-a-method-based-on-deep-analysis-of-facts/) [Andrei Sakharov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrei-sakharov/) > [International affairs must be completely permeated with scientific methodology and a democratic spirit, with a fearless weighing of all facts, views, and theories, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrei-sakharov/international-affairs-must-be-completely-permeated-with-scientific/) [Andrei Sakharov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrei-sakharov/) > [Nothing threatens freedom of the personality and the meaning of life like war, poverty, terror. But there are also indirect and only slightly more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrei-sakharov/nothing-threatens-freedom-of-the-personality-and-the-meaning-of-life/) [Andrei Sakharov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrei-sakharov/) [Explore all 22 Andrei Sakharov quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrei-sakharov/) ## More Bloody quotes > [Success doesn't have a downside for me. I'm busy, but I've always been busy whatever job I've had. My very first job working in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-derbyshire/success-doesn-t-have-a-downside-for-me-i-m-busy-but-i-ve-always-been/) Victoria Derbyshire > [AHHHHHH! Goyle has set the bloody place on fire! -Ron Weasley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/ahhhhhh-goyle-has-set-the-bloody-place-on-fire-ron-weasley/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My style icon is anyone who makes a bloody effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabella-blow/my-style-icon-is-anyone-who-makes-a-bloody-effort/) [Isabella Blow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabella-blow/) > [If you're going to do something that looks evil, don't smear it with icing and pretend it's good; just bloody well do it and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/if-you-re-going-to-do-something-that-looks-evil-don-t-smear-it-with/) [Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/) > [Every sensible man, every honorable man, must hold the Christian sect in horror." "Christianity is the most ridiculous, the most absurd and bloody religion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/every-sensible-man-every-honorable-man-must-hold-the-christian-sect/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [The problem was Le Corbusier was a genius and an enormous artist, but he tried to resolve problems to which there is no solution.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-krier/the-problem-was-le-corbusier-was-a-genius-and-an-enormous-artist-but/) [Leon Krier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-krier/) > [Sound trumpets! Let our bloody colours wave! And either victory, or else a grave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/sound-trumpets-let-our-bloody-colours-wave-and-either-victory-or-else/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I was at Mount Tamalpais near San Francisco hiking when a boulder came hurling down the mountainside and smashed my left hand. When I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-casals/i-was-at-mount-tamalpais-near-san-francisco-hiking-when-a-boulder/) [Pablo Casals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-casals/) > [Women are all the bloody sameyou can't love for five minutes without wanting it abolished in brats and house bloody wifery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/women-are-all-the-bloody-sameyou-can-t-love-for-five-minutes-without/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [Mass ought to be in Latin, unless you could do it in Greek or Chinese. In fact, any abracadabra that no bloody member of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-pound/mass-ought-to-be-in-latin-unless-you-could-do-it-in-greek-or-chinese/) [Ezra Pound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-pound/) > [“The heart is a bloody thing. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toby-barlow/the-heart-is-a-bloody-thing/) [Toby Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toby-barlow/) > [I'd have opened a bloody library if I'd wanted to be quiet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-roddick/i-d-have-opened-a-bloody-library-if-i-d-wanted-to-be-quiet/) [Anita Roddick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-roddick/) > [The proud spirit of the original owners of these vast prairies inherited through centuries of fierce and bloody wars for their possession, lingered last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-frank-baum/the-proud-spirit-of-the-original-owners-of-these-vast-prairies/) [L. 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