Another day Quote by Jerome Frank
“To vest a few fallible men — prosecutors, judges, jurors — with vast powers of literary or artistic censorship, to convert them into what J. S. Mill called a "moral police," is to make them despotic arbiters of literary products. If one day they ban mediocre books as obscene, another day they may do likewise to a work of genius.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Unknown, 1960s commentary on censorship
Empowers a few to police literature, risking tyranny over art and ideas.
In simple terms: Few control art, leading to tyranny.
Guard against censorship.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- publishing decisions
- court rulings
- educational curricula
- media regulation
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- Who decides what is obscene?
- How can we balance protection and freedom?
Even with oversight, subjective taste can still suppress innovation.