---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Modern liberty in contrast was protection…"
description: "\"“Modern liberty in contrast was protection from unwanted interference by state or society.”\" — Edmund Fawcett"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71e/edmund-fawcett-42600_freedom_modern-liberty-in-contrast-was-protectio_2469265.jpg"
---

#  Modern liberty in contrast was protection from unwanted…

![“Modern liberty in contrast was protection from unwanted interference by state or society.” quote by Edmund Fawcett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71e/edmund-fawcett-42600_freedom_modern-liberty-in-contrast-was-protectio_2469265.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71e/edmund-fawcett-42600_freedom_modern-liberty-in-contrast-was-protectio_2469265.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71e/edmund-fawcett-42600_freedom_modern-liberty-in-contrast-was-protectio_2469265.jpg)

> ““Modern liberty in contrast was protection from unwanted interference by state or society.””

[Edmund Fawcett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-fawcett/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Modern liberty means protection from undue interference by government or society, ensuring personal autonomy.

**In simple terms:** Liberty protects against unwanted control.

Key Takeaway

Guard personal freedoms.

Themes

freedom rights autonomy

Mood

thoughtful analytical

Type

political philosophical

When to use this quote

- legal reforms
- digital privacy
- workplace policies

Key Concepts

political theory civil liberties social contract

Questions to Reflect On

- What limits should society place on interference?
- How to protect liberty without chaos?

A Different Perspective

Balancing security and liberty is complex.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty/) [Protection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protection/)

## Related quotes

> [The old restriction meant that only the orthodox were allowed to discuss religion. Modern liberty means that nobody is allowed to discuss it. Good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-old-restriction-meant-that-only-the-orthodox-were-allowed-to/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“When the old Liberals removed the gags from all the heresies, their idea was that religious and philosophical discoveries might thus be made. Their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/when-the-old-liberals-removed-the-gags-from-all-the-heresies-their/)

[G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/)

> [What reason is there that he which laboreth much, and, sparing the fruits of his labor, consumeth little, should be more charged than he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hobbes/what-reason-is-there-that-he-which-laboreth-much-and-sparing-the/)

[Thomas Hobbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hobbes/)

> [If the prosecution of crime is to be conducted with so little regard for that protection which centuries of English law have given to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/learned-hand/if-the-prosecution-of-crime-is-to-be-conducted-with-so-little-regard/)

[Learned Hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/learned-hand/)

> [ According to the laws and constitution of the people, which I \[the Lord\] have suffered to be established, and should be maintained for the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-smith-jr/according-to-the-laws-and-constitution-of-the-people-which-i-the-lord/)

[Joseph Smith, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-smith-jr/)

> [The law, unfortunately, has always been retained on the side of power; laws have uniformly been enacted for the protection and perpetuation of power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-cooper/the-law-unfortunately-has-always-been-retained-on-the-side-of-power/)

Thomas Cooper

> [It clearly follows that to make men moral it is necessary to make their social environment moral. And that can be done in only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-bakunin/it-clearly-follows-that-to-make-men-moral-it-is-necessary-to-make/)

[Mikhail Bakunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-bakunin/)

> [I'm a principle liberty, rule-of-law Conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-o-toole/i-m-a-principle-liberty-rule-of-law-conservative/)

[Erin O'Toole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-o-toole/)

> [I am a woman, and as such, I experience the ever-increasing restrictions on our liberty in our country through the development of Islamic fundamentalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marine-le-pen/i-am-a-woman-and-as-such-i-experience-the-ever-increasing/)

[Marine Le Pen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marine-le-pen/)

> [“We shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and success of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/we-shall-pay-any-price-bear-any-burden-meet-any-hardship-support-any/)

[John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/)

> [The system of private property is the most important guaranty of freedom, not only for those who own property, but scarcely less for those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-august-von-hayek/the-system-of-private-property-is-the-most-important-guaranty-of/)

[Friedrich August von Hayek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-august-von-hayek/)

> [“This spending of the best part of one's life earning money in order to enjoy a questionable liberty during the least valuable part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/this-spending-of-the-best-part-of-one-s-life-earning-money-in-order/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [In relations between the rich and the strong, between the rich and the poor, between the master and the servant, it's liberty that grinds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-relations-between-the-rich-and-the-strong-between-the-rich-and-the/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I've long believed one of the mainsprings of our own liberty has been the widespread ownership of property among our people and the expectation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-long-believed-one-of-the-mainsprings-of-our-own-liberty-has-been/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> [Some minds corrode and grow inactive under the loss of personal liberty; others grow morbid and irritable; but it is the nature of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/washington-irving/some-minds-corrode-and-grow-inactive-under-the-loss-of-personal/)

[Washington Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/washington-irving/)

## More by Edmund Fawcett

> [“First, human character was varied. Second, pleasure lay less in feeling things than in doing things, that is in pursuits and activities. Last, certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-fawcett/first-human-character-was-varied-second-pleasure-lay-less-in-feeling/)

[Edmund Fawcett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-fawcett/)

> [“Whatever the liberal mood, the task of containing and utilizing conflict was never over, just as the task was never over of resisting power.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-fawcett/whatever-the-liberal-mood-the-task-of-containing-and-utilizing/)

[Edmund Fawcett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-fawcett/)

> [“Looked at from the point of view of citizens, liberalism is a practice of politics for people who will not be bossed about or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-fawcett/looked-at-from-the-point-of-view-of-citizens-liberalism-is-a-practice/)

[Edmund Fawcett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-fawcett/)

> [“But people were not ideal, and politics had to work with people as they were.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-fawcett/but-people-were-not-ideal-and-politics-had-to-work-with-people-as/)

[Edmund Fawcett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-fawcett/)

> [“Absolute power could, as its defenders argued, be enlightened, beneficial, and benign. To liberals that was not enough. Absolute power could also change its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-fawcett/absolute-power-could-as-its-defenders-argued-be-enlightened/)

[Edmund Fawcett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-fawcett/)

> [“leader of the Baden liberals, Carl von Rotteck, had cried “I prefer freedom without unity to unity without freedom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-fawcett/leader-of-the-baden-liberals-carl-von-rotteck-had-cried-i-prefer/)

[Edmund Fawcett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-fawcett/)

> [“To make laws for the regulation of trade,” he said in 1836, “is as wise as it would be to legislate about water finding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-fawcett/to-make-laws-for-the-regulation-of-trade-he-said-in-1836-is-as-wise/)

[Edmund Fawcett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-fawcett/)

> [“The same man,” Roosevelt said, “who tells us that he does not want to see the government interfere with business . . . is the first to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-fawcett/the-same-man-roosevelt-said-who-tells-us-that-he-does-not-want-to-see/)

[Edmund Fawcett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-fawcett/)

> [“Good governance depends on the balance of forces.” In avoiding the domination of one power, he was echoing Madison and Guizot.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-fawcett/good-governance-depends-on-the-balance-of-forces-in-avoiding-the/)

[Edmund Fawcett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-fawcett/)

[Explore all 10 Edmund Fawcett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-fawcett/)

## More Freedom quotes

> [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/)

[Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/)

> [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/)

[Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/)

> [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/)

[Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/)

> [Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/elections-belong-to-the-people-it-s-their-decision-if-they-decide-to/)

[Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/)

> [If we gave up our freedom as the price of security, we would no longer be the great nation that we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/if-we-gave-up-our-freedom-as-the-price-of-security-we-would-no-longer/)

[Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/)

> [We live in the greatest country in the world because of the veterans who have sacrificed their lives for our freedom and the security…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-husted/we-live-in-the-greatest-country-in-the-world-because-of-the-veterans/)

[Jon Husted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-husted/)

> [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/)

[Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/)

> [“No one was more surprised than I to realize that my newfound freedom had been purchased by giving up on eternity and settling for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-jessop/no-one-was-more-surprised-than-i-to-realize-that-my-newfound-freedom/)

[Carolyn Jessop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-jessop/)

> [“In a world of fixed future, there can be no right or wrong. Right and wrong demand freedom of choice, but if each action…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lightman/in-a-world-of-fixed-future-there-can-be-no-right-or-wrong-right-and/)

[Alan Lightman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lightman/)

> [“In any case, white people, who had robbed black people of their liberty and who profited by this theft every hour that they lived,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-baldwin/in-any-case-white-people-who-had-robbed-black-people-of-their-liberty/)

[James Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-baldwin/)

> [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/)

[Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/)

> [“I have to blame myself for not finding any way of reaching him, but I can't feel that either Ruth or I had anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/i-have-to-blame-myself-for-not-finding-any-way-of-reaching-him-but-i/)

[Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/)

> [“It breaks my heart. Better than your words, your eye tells me all your peril. You are not yet free, you still search for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/it-breaks-my-heart-better-than-your-words-your-eye-tells-me-all-your/)

[Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/)

> [History has often showed us the strength of the forces that are unleashed by the yearning for freedom. It moved people to overcome their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-merkel/history-has-often-showed-us-the-strength-of-the-forces-that-are/)

[Angela Merkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-merkel/)

> [I don't want to be famous famous. I'm happy on the second tier, where I have autonomy on a professional level but I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-reece/i-don-t-want-to-be-famous-famous-i-m-happy-on-the-second-tier-where-i/)

[Gabrielle Reece](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-reece/)

[Browse all 30,110 Freedom quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Modern liberty in contrast was protection from unwanted interference by state or society.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Edmund Fawcett"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-fawcett/modern-liberty-in-contrast-was-protection-from-unwanted-interference/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Freedom"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-fawcett/modern-liberty-in-contrast-was-protection-from-unwanted-interference/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71e/edmund-fawcett-42600_freedom_modern-liberty-in-contrast-was-protectio_2469265.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71e/edmund-fawcett-42600_freedom_modern-liberty-in-contrast-was-protectio_2469265.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71e/edmund-fawcett-42600_freedom_modern-liberty-in-contrast-was-protectio_2469265.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Modern liberty in contrast was protection from unwanted interference by state or society.” — Edmund Fawcett",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Edmund Fawcett",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-fawcett/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Modern liberty in contrast was protection...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-fawcett/modern-liberty-in-contrast-was-protection-from-unwanted-interference/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-fawcett/modern-liberty-in-contrast-was-protection-from-unwanted-interference/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
