--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Freedom, or individual liberty, was a…" description: "\"“Freedom, or individual liberty, was a basic premise of the Spanish anarchist tradition. \"Individual sovereignty\" is a prime tenet of most anarchist wr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb0/martha-ackelsberg-110138_anarchism_freedom-or-individual-liberty-was-a-basi_252357.jpg" --- # Freedom, or individual liberty, was a basic premise of the… ![“Freedom, or individual liberty, was a basic premise of the Spanish anarchist tradition. "Individual sovereignty" is a prime tenet of most anarchist writing; the free development of one' s individual potential is one of the basic "rights" to which all humans are born. Yet Spanish anarchists were…” quote by Martha Ackelsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb0/martha-ackelsberg-110138_anarchism_freedom-or-individual-liberty-was-a-basi_252357.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb0/martha-ackelsberg-110138_anarchism_freedom-or-individual-liberty-was-a-basi_252357.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb0/martha-ackelsberg-110138_anarchism_freedom-or-individual-liberty-was-a-basi_252357.jpg) > ““Freedom, or individual liberty, was a basic premise of the Spanish anarchist tradition. "Individual sovereignty" is a prime tenet of most anarchist writing; the free development of one' s individual potential is one of the basic "rights" to which all humans are born. Yet Spanish anarchists were firmly rooted in the communalist-anarchist tradition. For them, freedom was fundamentally a social product: the fullest expression of individuality and of creativity can be achieved only in and through community. As Carmen Conde (a teacher who was also active in Mujeres Libres) wrote, describing the relationship of individuality and community: "I and my truth; I and my faith ... And I for you, but without ever ceasing to be me, so that you can always be you. Because I don' t exist without your existence, but my existence is also indispensable to yours.”” Martha Ackelsberg ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Freedom is both individual and communal; true liberty emerges through mutual existence and shared humanity. **In simple terms:** Freedom needs both self and community. Key Takeaway Balance personal autonomy with communal responsibility. Themes freedom individuality community anarchism feminism Mood thoughtful inspirational Type Anarchism:1 Feminism:1 Freedom:1 Identity:1 Individual liberty:1 Spain:0 Freedom Individual:0 Individual Sovereignty:0 Anarchist Tradition:0 Freedom Fundamentally:0 When to use this quote - activism - community building - personal development Key Concepts social theory human rights collective identity Questions to Reflect On - How does your individuality support community? - In what ways does community enhance personal freedom? A Different Perspective Pure individualism can ignore societal interdependence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anarchism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anarchism/) [Feminism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminism/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Individual liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual-liberty/) [Spain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spain/) ## Related quotes > [“It is not a problem of the market form but of markets deformed - deformed by the long shadow of historical injustices and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-chartier/it-is-not-a-problem-of-the-market-form-but-of-markets-deformed/) Gary Chartier > [“‎"Freedom is fundamentally the possibility of standig on a street corner and shouting “There is no freedom here!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoani-s-nchez/freedom-is-fundamentally-the-possibility-of-standig-on-a-street/) Yoani Sánchez > [I believe that in America, freedom and individual liberty will, in the end, always triumph over class division and collectivism with voters of all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-c-o-brien/i-believe-that-in-america-freedom-and-individual-liberty-will-in-the/) [Robert C. O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-c-o-brien/) > [There is only one kind of freedom and that's individual liberty. Our lives come from our creator and our liberty comes from our creator.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/there-is-only-one-kind-of-freedom-and-that-s-individual-liberty-our/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [I believe we must choose the path to faith, freedom and individual liberty. It starts with us, here today, now, Working together, with God's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-w-shannon/i-believe-we-must-choose-the-path-to-faith-freedom-and-individual/) T.W. Shannon > [“Decisions are free when each of us settles his path through life by negotiation, playing his cards according to his own best judgement and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/decisions-are-free-when-each-of-us-settles-his-path-through-life-by/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [To bring about government by oligarchy, masquerading as democracy, it is fundamentally essential that practically all authority and control be centralized in our Federal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/to-bring-about-government-by-oligarchy-masquerading-as-democracy-it/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [Of all the groups that sometimes claim to own your life, family is the hardest to defend your individual sovereignty from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/of-all-the-groups-that-sometimes-claim-to-own-your-life-family-is-the/) [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) > [Gun control is part and parcel of the ongoing collectivist effort to eviscerate individual sovereignty and replace it with dependence upon and allegiance to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-hunter/gun-control-is-part-and-parcel-of-the-ongoing-collectivist-effort-to/) Lawrence Hunter > [“Far from checking the spread of immorality, repression has always extended and deepended it. Thus it is futile to oppose it by rigorous legislation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-guerin/far-from-checking-the-spread-of-immorality-repression-has-always/) [Daniel Guérin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-guerin/) > [“If your political theory requires humanity to "evolve", then you do not have a theory.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-e-samaan/if-your-political-theory-requires-humanity-to-evolve-then-you-do-not/) [A.E. Samaan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-e-samaan/) > [“But what about human nature? Can it be changed? And if not, will it endure under Anarchism? Poor human nature, what horrible crimes have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/but-what-about-human-nature-can-it-be-changed-and-if-not-will-it/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [“Direct action meant that the goal of any and all of these activities was to provide ways for people to get in touch with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-ackelsberg/direct-action-meant-that-the-goal-of-any-and-all-of-these-activities/) Martha Ackelsberg > [“Before this, the Cherokees had, like Indian tribes in general, done without formal government. As Van Every puts it: The foundation principle of Indian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/before-this-the-cherokees-had-like-indian-tribes-in-general-done/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [Do not be deluded by the abstract word Freedom. Whose freedom? Not the freedom of one individual in relation to another, but freedom of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/do-not-be-deluded-by-the-abstract-word-freedom-whose-freedom-not-the/) [Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/) ## More by Martha Ackelsberg > [“Direct action meant that the goal of any and all of these activities was to provide ways for people to get in touch with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-ackelsberg/direct-action-meant-that-the-goal-of-any-and-all-of-these-activities/) Martha Ackelsberg Explore all 2 Martha Ackelsberg quotes ## More Anarchism quotes > [I know one thing: that you can do a lot of things but if you don't educate people into conscious anarchism it gets frittered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-bookchin/i-know-one-thing-that-you-can-do-a-lot-of-things-but-if-you-don-t/) [Murray Bookchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-bookchin/) > [In morals as in politics anarchy is not for the weak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-mccarthy/in-morals-as-in-politics-anarchy-is-not-for-the-weak/) [Mary McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mccarthy/) > [Anarchism is a definite intellectual current in the life of our times, whose adherents advocate the abolition of economic monopolies and of all political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-rocker/anarchism-is-a-definite-intellectual-current-in-the-life-of-our-times/) [Rudolf Rocker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-rocker/) > [“Do not all theists insist that there can be no morality, no justice, honesty or fidelity without the belief in a Divine Power? Based…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/do-not-all-theists-insist-that-there-can-be-no-morality-no-justice/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [“Does it follow that I reject all authority? Perish the thought. 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Anarchism, in my mind, meant taking democracy seriously and organizing prefiguratively- that is, in a way that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrej-gruba-i/i-became-an-anarchist-very-early-on-anarchism-in-my-mind-meant-taking/) [Andrej Grubačić](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrej-gruba-i/) [Browse all 388 Anarchism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anarchism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Freedom, or individual liberty, was a basic premise of the Spanish anarchist tradition. \"Individual sovereignty\" is a prime tenet of most anarchist writing; the free development of one' s individual potential is one of the basic \"rights\" to which all humans are born. Yet Spanish anarchists were firmly rooted in the communalist-anarchist tradition. For them, freedom was fundamentally a social product: the fullest expression of individuality and of creativity can be achieved only in and through community. 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