---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Human rights and freedoms protect us…"
description: "\"“Human rights and freedoms protect us against arbitrary government.”\" — Jean Tirole"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a7/jean-tirole-28112_freedom_human-rights-and-freedoms-protect-us-aga_2200622.jpg"
---

#  Human rights and freedoms protect us against arbitrary…

![“Human rights and freedoms protect us against arbitrary government.” quote by Jean Tirole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a7/jean-tirole-28112_freedom_human-rights-and-freedoms-protect-us-aga_2200622.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a7/jean-tirole-28112_freedom_human-rights-and-freedoms-protect-us-aga_2200622.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a7/jean-tirole-28112_freedom_human-rights-and-freedoms-protect-us-aga_2200622.jpg)

> ““Human rights and freedoms protect us against arbitrary government.””

[Jean Tirole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-tirole/)

## About This Quote

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

Human rights safeguard individuals from arbitrary state power.

**In simple terms:** Rights protect against capricious government.

Key Takeaway

Defend freedoms.

Themes

law rights government accountability

Mood

serious hopeful

Type

political educational

When to use this quote

- policy advocacy
- legal reform
- public discourse

Key Concepts

constitutional law civil liberties

Questions to Reflect On

- What mechanisms ensure rights remain robust?
- How do citizens hold governments accountable?

A Different Perspective

Rights can be eroded subtly over time.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Arbitrary Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arbitrary-government-1290543/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Freedoms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedoms/) [Freedoms Protect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedoms-protect-4604199/) [Human rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-rights/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Rights Freedoms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights-freedoms-788862/)

## Related quotes

> [“But rules for sustainability, like every workable social rule, would be put into place not to destroy freedoms, but to create freedoms or to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donella-h-meadows/but-rules-for-sustainability-like-every-workable-social-rule-would-be/)

[Donella H. Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donella-h-meadows/)

> [Government was intended to secure the rights and freedoms of the people; it wasn't intended to be all things to all people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-haley/government-was-intended-to-secure-the-rights-and-freedoms-of-the/)

[Nikki Haley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-haley/)

> [All freedoms provided by democracy are for those who believe in it. Can the rights and freedoms of millions of virtuous people who believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenan-evren/all-freedoms-provided-by-democracy-are-for-those-who-believe-in-it/)

[Kenan Evren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenan-evren/)

> [Reading international law at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London was a wonderful experience. With its incredibly diverse student population, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lammy/reading-international-law-at-the-school-of-oriental-and-african/)

[David Lammy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lammy/)

> [I'm not going to say how, specifically, but I will continue to speak out about human rights and freedoms. Absolutely. We can speak out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelina-jolie/i-m-not-going-to-say-how-specifically-but-i-will-continue-to-speak/)

[Angelina Jolie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angelina-jolie/)

> [There are unprecedented numbers of movements for human rights and freedoms. But the dominant worldviews in academia, like materialism and naturalism, deny the reality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pearcey/there-are-unprecedented-numbers-of-movements-for-human-rights-and/)

[Nancy Pearcey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pearcey/)

> [Stability and a prosperous life cannot be set off against a set of political rights and freedoms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dmitry-medvedev/stability-and-a-prosperous-life-cannot-be-set-off-against-a-set-of/)

[Dmitry Medvedev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dmitry-medvedev/)

> [The best way to take control over a people and control them utterly is to take a little of their freedom at a time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-best-way-to-take-control-over-a-people-and-control-them-utterly/)

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

> [I believe that the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the innate human spirit that longs to be free requires us to defend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslyn-lewis/i-believe-that-the-canadian-charter-of-rights-and-freedoms-and-the/)

[Leslyn Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslyn-lewis/)

> [I’m not interested in my standard of living, my health, my job, my rights, my freedoms, my future, or any future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-gellhorn/i-m-not-interested-in-my-standard-of-living-my-health-my-job-my/)

[Martha Gellhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-gellhorn/)

> [Law matters, because it keeps us safe, because it protects our most fundamental rights and freedoms, and because it is the foundation of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-kagan/law-matters-because-it-keeps-us-safe-because-it-protects-our-most/)

[Elena Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-kagan/)

> [People often say, with pride, 'I'm not interested in politics.' They might as well say, 'I'm not interested in my standard of living, my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-gellhorn/people-often-say-with-pride-i-m-not-interested-in-politics-they-might/)

[Martha Gellhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-gellhorn/)

> [On the whole, it is the rights and freedoms of all citizens that are crucial in Saudi Arabia and from those the rights of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/basmah-bint-saud/on-the-whole-it-is-the-rights-and-freedoms-of-all-citizens-that-are/)

[Basmah bint Saud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/basmah-bint-saud/)

> [Extreme poverty threatens people's right to life itself and makes impossible the enjoyment of the rights and freedoms essential to a humane way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daisaku-ikeda/extreme-poverty-threatens-people-s-right-to-life-itself-and-makes/)

[Daisaku Ikeda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daisaku-ikeda/)

> [In each and every election, it's your rights, it's your freedoms, it's your interests that are on the ballot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-young/in-each-and-every-election-it-s-your-rights-it-s-your-freedoms-it-s/)

[Todd Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-young/)

## More by Jean Tirole

> [“The problem of limited (or “asymmetric”) information is everywhere:”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-tirole/the-problem-of-limited-or-asymmetric-information-is-everywhere/)

[Jean Tirole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-tirole/)

> [“decisions made by economic actors (households, firms, the state) are constrained by limited information.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-tirole/decisions-made-by-economic-actors-households-firms-the-state-are/)

[Jean Tirole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-tirole/)

> [“younger generations have a more international mindset”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-tirole/younger-generations-have-a-more-international-mindset/)

[Jean Tirole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-tirole/)

> [“Equality of opportunity in education aims to insure us against disparities arising from the situation in which we are born”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-tirole/equality-of-opportunity-in-education-aims-to-insure-us-against/)

[Jean Tirole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-tirole/)

> [“Wealth acquired by creating value for society is not equivalent to wealth that comes from economic rents. For example, a very important factor in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-tirole/wealth-acquired-by-creating-value-for-society-is-not-equivalent-to/)

[Jean Tirole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-tirole/)

> [“to create true equality of opportunity,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-tirole/to-create-true-equality-of-opportunity/)

[Jean Tirole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-tirole/)

> [“exacerbated eagerness to exploit the ignorance and prejudice of voters.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-tirole/exacerbated-eagerness-to-exploit-the-ignorance-and-prejudice-of-voters/)

[Jean Tirole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-tirole/)

> [“The contrast between economics and medicine is striking:”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-tirole/the-contrast-between-economics-and-medicine-is-striking/)

[Jean Tirole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-tirole/)

> [“Not only are we subject to cognitive biases, we also frequently seek out things that reinforce them. We interpret facts through the prism of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-tirole/not-only-are-we-subject-to-cognitive-biases-we-also-frequently-seek/)

[Jean Tirole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-tirole/)

> [I should pay attention to what I know and not talk more just because I won a Nobel Prize.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-tirole/i-should-pay-attention-to-what-i-know-and-not-talk-more-just-because/)

[Jean Tirole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-tirole/)

> [“The polarization of terms of employment between an ultraflexible fixed-term contract and an ultrarigid permanent contract divides the labor market between those who spend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-tirole/the-polarization-of-terms-of-employment-between-an-ultraflexible/)

[Jean Tirole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-tirole/)

> [“staying safely in the ivory tower is much more comfortable for academics,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-tirole/staying-safely-in-the-ivory-tower-is-much-more-comfortable-for/)

[Jean Tirole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-tirole/)

> [On Economic Nobel Prize 2014: I see one of my daughters is on Skype with me from London and in fact it is actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-tirole/on-economic-nobel-prize-2014-i-see-one-of-my-daughters-is-on-skype/)

[Jean Tirole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-tirole/)

> [“medical students at Harvard made significant errors5 when calculating the probability that a patient had cancer”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-tirole/medical-students-at-harvard-made-significant-errors5-when-calculating/)

[Jean Tirole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-tirole/)

> [“When we think about an economic problem, the first answer that occurs to us is not always the correct one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-tirole/when-we-think-about-an-economic-problem-the-first-answer-that-occurs/)

[Jean Tirole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-tirole/)

[Explore all 19 Jean Tirole quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-tirole/)

## 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": "“Human rights and freedoms protect us against arbitrary government.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jean Tirole"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-tirole/human-rights-and-freedoms-protect-us-against-arbitrary-government/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Freedom"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-tirole/human-rights-and-freedoms-protect-us-against-arbitrary-government/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a7/jean-tirole-28112_freedom_human-rights-and-freedoms-protect-us-aga_2200622.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a7/jean-tirole-28112_freedom_human-rights-and-freedoms-protect-us-aga_2200622.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a7/jean-tirole-28112_freedom_human-rights-and-freedoms-protect-us-aga_2200622.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Human rights and freedoms protect us against arbitrary government.” — Jean Tirole",
                "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": "Jean Tirole",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-tirole/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Human rights and freedoms protect us...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-tirole/human-rights-and-freedoms-protect-us-against-arbitrary-government/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-tirole/human-rights-and-freedoms-protect-us-against-arbitrary-government/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
