--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This nation was conceived in liberty and…" description: "\"This nation was conceived in liberty and dedicated to the principle - among others - that honest men may honestly disagree; that if they all say what t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9e/elmer-davis-20512_able_this-nation-was-conceived-in-liberty-and_2157834.png" --- # This nation was conceived in liberty and dedicated to the… ![“This nation was conceived in liberty and dedicated to the principle - among others - that honest men may honestly disagree; that if they all say what they think, a majority of the people will be able to distinguish truth from error.” quote by Elmer Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9e/elmer-davis-20512_able_this-nation-was-conceived-in-liberty-and_2157834.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9e/elmer-davis-20512_able_this-nation-was-conceived-in-liberty-and_2157834.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9e/elmer-davis-20512_able_this-nation-was-conceived-in-liberty-and_2157834.png) > “This nation was conceived in liberty and dedicated to the principle - among others - that honest men may honestly disagree; that if they all say what they think, a majority of the people will be able to distinguish truth from error.” [Elmer Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-davis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A free society thrives when honest people openly disagree, allowing truth to emerge from diverse opinions. **In simple terms:** Freedom needs honest disagreement to find truth. Key Takeaway Encourage open, honest dialogue. Themes freedom truth disagreement democracy Mood cautious hopeful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - political debate - media commentary - community meetings Key Concepts pluralism critical thinking public discourse Questions to Reflect On - How can we foster respectful disagreement? - What safeguards protect honest discourse? A Different Perspective Disagreement can become hostile, hindering truth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Able](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) [Conceived Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conceived-liberty-587802/) [Dedicated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dedicated/) [Disagree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disagree/) [Distinguish Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distinguish-truth-876452/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Honest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honest/) [Honestly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honestly/) [Integrity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/integrity/) [Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty/) [Liberty Dedicated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty-dedicated-2353202/) [Majority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/majority/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Nation Conceived](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nation-conceived-776135/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Principle Honest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principle-honest-2408192/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [“Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/four-score-and-seven-years-ago-our-fathers-brought-forth-on-this-2/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/four-score-and-seven-years-ago-our-fathers-brought-forth-on-this/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/fourscore-and-seven-years-ago-our-fathers-brought-forth-on-this/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [We are a new nation conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. That's what makes us Americans.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/we-are-a-new-nation-conceived-in-liberty-and-dedicated-to-the/) [Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/) > [Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/now-we-are-engaged-in-a-great-civil-war-testing-whether-that-nation/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [In a Nutshell - Fundamental Techniques In Handling People; Principle 1 - Don't criticize, condemn or complain; Principle 2 - Give honest and sincere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/in-a-nutshell-fundamental-techniques-in-handling-people-principle-1/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [“PRINCIPLE 1 Don’t criticize, condemn or complain. PRINCIPLE 2 Give honest and sincere appreciation. PRINCIPLE 3 Arouse in the other person an eager want.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/principle-1-don-t-criticize-condemn-or-complain-principle-2-give/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [“Principle 2 Give honest and sincere appreciation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/principle-2-give-honest-and-sincere-appreciation/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [That an error made on your own is safer than ten truths accepted on faith, because the first leaves you the means to correct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/that-an-error-made-on-your-own-is-safer-than-ten-truths-accepted-on/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [We cannot distinguish truth from falsehood, right from wrong, or know what obedience we owe to the magistrate, or what we may justly expect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/algernon-sidney/we-cannot-distinguish-truth-from-falsehood-right-from-wrong-or-know/) [Algernon Sidney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/algernon-sidney/) > [“In the mirage of mirror Difficult it is to distinguish between truth and fake Remove that layer of lens on your eyes And the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neelam-saxena-chandra/in-the-mirage-of-mirror-difficult-it-is-to-distinguish-between-truth/) [Neelam Saxena Chandra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neelam-saxena-chandra/) > [Man must learn to know the universe precisely as it is, or he cannot successfully find his place in it. A man should therefore…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/man-must-learn-to-know-the-universe-precisely-as-it-is-or-he-cannot/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We are a nation conceived, born and nurtured by faith... Our faith is declared in our Constitution, on our currency and in our lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dole/we-are-a-nation-conceived-born-and-nurtured-by-faith-our-faith-is/) [Bob Dole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dole/) > [“I propose the following definition of the nation: it is an imagined political community-and imagined as both inherently limited and sovereign. It is imagined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benedict-anderson/i-propose-the-following-definition-of-the-nation-it-is-an-imagined/) [Benedict Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benedict-anderson/) > [America, 5 years after this brutal attack, is testament that a Nation conceived in liberty and equality will endure. It is a triumph of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-rahall/america-5-years-after-this-brutal-attack-is-testament-that-a-nation/) [Nick Rahall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-rahall/) ## More by Elmer Davis > [You may not like Mr. Roosevelt, but if he loss the war, we all lose it with him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-davis/you-may-not-like-mr-roosevelt-but-if-he-loss-the-war-we-all-lose-it/) [Elmer Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-davis/) > [This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-davis/this-nation-will-remain-the-land-of-the-free-only-so-long-as-it-is/) [Elmer Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-davis/) > [“The first and greatest commandment is, Don't let them scare you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-davis/the-first-and-greatest-commandment-is-don-t-let-them-scare-you/) [Elmer Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-davis/) > [We are going to use the truth, and we are going to use it toward the end of winning the war; and we know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-davis/we-are-going-to-use-the-truth-and-we-are-going-to-use-it-toward-the/) [Elmer Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-davis/) > [One of the things that is wrong with America is that everybody who has done anything at all in his own field is expected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-davis/one-of-the-things-that-is-wrong-with-america-is-that-everybody-who/) [Elmer Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-davis/) > [There is an increasing demand that the president and Secretary Hull get rid of the unteachable group in the State Department of men who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-davis/there-is-an-increasing-demand-that-the-president-and-secretary-hull/) [Elmer Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-davis/) > [When a middle-aged man says in a moment of weariness that he is half dead, he is telling the literal truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-davis/when-a-middle-aged-man-says-in-a-moment-of-weariness-that-he-is-half/) [Elmer Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-davis/) > [The only identification that would be inscribed on any cat's collar would be "This is the cat's cat."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-davis/the-only-identification-that-would-be-inscribed-on-any-cat-s-collar/) [Elmer Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-davis/) > [This republic was not established by cowards; and cowards will not preserve it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-davis/this-republic-was-not-established-by-cowards-and-cowards-will-not/) [Elmer Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-davis/) > [The American public has a right to know what's going on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-davis/the-american-public-has-a-right-to-know-what-s-going-on/) [Elmer Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-davis/) > [Large elements in Congress and the public were willing to fight for victory but wanted to be very sure that the struggle was not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-davis/large-elements-in-congress-and-the-public-were-willing-to-fight-for/) [Elmer Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-davis/) > [The first and great commandment is: Don't let them scare you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-davis/the-first-and-great-commandment-is-don-t-let-them-scare-you/) [Elmer Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-davis/) > [New York was growing so fast that the extraordinary prosperity which attended 'The Times' almost from the outset brought no real injury to any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-davis/new-york-was-growing-so-fast-that-the-extraordinary-prosperity-which/) [Elmer Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-davis/) > [I believe that if the entire voting population of the United States could be taken in small groups on a personally conducted tour of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-davis/i-believe-that-if-the-entire-voting-population-of-the-united-states/) [Elmer Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-davis/) > [The chief characteristic of 'The Tribune' under Greeley was an aggressive and even ostentatious purity. 'Immoral and degrading police reports,' and any notices of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-davis/the-chief-characteristic-of-the-tribune-under-greeley-was-an/) [Elmer Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-davis/) [Explore all 30 Elmer Davis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-davis/) ## More Able quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [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/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [In the '80s, the way radio was programmed, if you didn't have a hit record you weren't going to be able to make any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-lewis/in-the-80s-the-way-radio-was-programmed-if-you-didn-t-have-a-hit/) [Huey Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-lewis/) > [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/) [Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/) > [I wanted to remember in order to be able to return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-wanted-to-remember-in-order-to-be-able-to-return/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/) [Greg Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-perry/) > [I don't know if I would qualify as mainstream. I think I have managed to function pretty successfully on the fringes of the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/i-don-t-know-if-i-would-qualify-as-mainstream-i-think-i-have-managed/) [Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. 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