Agitation Quote by Learned Hand
“Political agitation, by the passions it arouses or the convictions it engenders, may in fact stimulate men to the violation of the law. Detestation of existing policies is easily transformed into forcible resistance of the authority which puts them in execution, and it would be folly to disregard the causal relation between the two. Yet to assimilate agitation, legitimate as such, with direct incitement to violent resistance, is to disregard the tolerance of all methods of political agitation which in normal times is a safeguard of free government.”
About This Quote
Source Legal Opinion: United States v. One Book Called Ulysses, 1933
Political agitation can inspire both lawful protest and violent resistance, but conflating the two undermines free speech protections.
In simple terms: Agitation may lead to lawbreaking, but not all agitation is violent.
Key Takeaway
Distinguish protest from incitement.
Themes
free speech
political protest
law
civil liberties
Mood
cautious
analytical
Type
legal
philosophical
When to use this quote
- public demonstrations
- online activism
- legislative debate
- court rulings
Key Concepts
civil rights
legal theory
government authority
Questions to Reflect On
- When does protest become a threat?
- How can law protect both order and dissent?
A Different Perspective
Aggressive rhetoric can be misinterpreted as incitement, risking suppression of legitimate dissent.
![“[T]o read was precisely to enter another world, which was not the reader's own, and come back refreshed, ready to bear with equanimity the injustices and frustrations of this one. Reading was balm, amusement -- not incitement.” quote by Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/885/susan-sontag-332_amusement_t-o-read-was-precisely-to-enter-another_438392.jpg)
