--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our submission to general principles is…" description: "\"Our submission to general principles is necessary because we cannot be guided in our practical action by full knowledge and evaluation of the consequen..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a1f/friedrich-august-von-hayek-141_action_our-submission-to-general-principles-is_3150677.jpg" --- # Our submission to general principles is necessary because… ![“Our submission to general principles is necessary because we cannot be guided in our practical action by full knowledge and evaluation of the consequences. So long as men are not omniscient, the only way in which freedom can be given to the individual is by such general rules to delimit the sphere…” quote by Friedrich August von Hayek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a1f/friedrich-august-von-hayek-141_action_our-submission-to-general-principles-is_3150677.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a1f/friedrich-august-von-hayek-141_action_our-submission-to-general-principles-is_3150677.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a1f/friedrich-august-von-hayek-141_action_our-submission-to-general-principles-is_3150677.jpg) > “Our submission to general principles is necessary because we cannot be guided in our practical action by full knowledge and evaluation of the consequences. So long as men are not omniscient, the only way in which freedom can be given to the individual is by such general rules to delimit the sphere in which the decision is his. There can be no freedom if the government is not limited to particular kinds of action but can use its powers in any ways which serve particular ends.” [Friedrich August von Hayek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-august-von-hayek/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. General principles guide freedom because individuals lack perfect knowledge; limited government ensures liberty. **In simple terms:** Rules help protect freedom when we cannot foresee all outcomes. Key Takeaway Implement broad rules and limit governmental power. Themes freedom government knowledge limits rule of law individual autonomy Mood analytical cautious thoughtful Type philosophical political When to use this quote - drafting legislation - constitutional design - public policy formation - educational curricula on civics Key Concepts political theory epistemology libertarianism Questions to Reflect On - What balance should exist between rules and discretion? - How can societies adapt rules as knowledge grows? A Different Perspective Overly broad rules can restrict necessary flexibility and innovation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Action](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/action/) [Consequence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consequence/) [Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Ends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ends/) [Evaluation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evaluation/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Freedom Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom-government-713847/) [General Principles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/general-principles-431520/) [General Rules](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/general-rules-4424477/) [Given](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/given/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Omniscient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/omniscient/) [Particular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/particular/) [Practicals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/practicals/) [Principles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principles/) [Principles Necessary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principles-necessary-5654696/) [Spheres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spheres/) [Submission](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/submission/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [General rules are dangerous of application in particular instances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-mary-yonge/general-rules-are-dangerous-of-application-in-particular-instances/) [Charlotte Mary Yonge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-mary-yonge/) > [“The search for predictive and explanatory general rules—that’s the crux of our game.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-vogel/the-search-for-predictive-and-explanatory-general-rules-that-s-the/) [Steven Vogel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-vogel/) > [The executive exists to make sensible exceptions to general rules.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-executive-exists-to-make-sensible-exceptions-to-general-rules/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [General rules will bear hard on particular cases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-beecher-stowe/general-rules-will-bear-hard-on-particular-cases/) [Harriet Beecher Stowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-beecher-stowe/) > [The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/the-general-principles-on-which-the-fathers-achieved-independence/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [It is always more easy to discover and proclaim general principles than it is to apply them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/it-is-always-more-easy-to-discover-and-proclaim-general-principles-2/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [“A general summing up, such as this, is highly characteristic of the old Oriental mode of approach to a religious and philosophical teaching, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmet-fox/a-general-summing-up-such-as-this-is-highly-characteristic-of-the-old/) [Emmet Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmet-fox/) > [“It is always more easy to discover and proclaim general principles than to apply them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/it-is-always-more-easy-to-discover-and-proclaim-general-principles/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [All our moves are based on four general principles: continued use of the rifle, no waiving of historical rights, no peace, and no negotiations...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasser-arafat/all-our-moves-are-based-on-four-general-principles-continued-use-of/) [Yasser Arafat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasser-arafat/) > [Strategy is a system of makeshifts. 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