--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: True freedom is not advanced in the…" description: "\"True freedom is not advanced in the permissive society, which confuses freedom with license to do anything whatever and which in the name of freedom pr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c9/pope-john-paul-ii-485_advancement_true-freedom-is-not-advanced-in-the-perm_3022915.jpg" --- # True freedom is not advanced in the permissive society… ![“True freedom is not advanced in the permissive society, which confuses freedom with license to do anything whatever and which in the name of freedom proclaims a kind of general amorality. It is a caricature of freedom to claim that people are free to organize their lives with no reference to moral…” quote by Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c9/pope-john-paul-ii-485_advancement_true-freedom-is-not-advanced-in-the-perm_3022915.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c9/pope-john-paul-ii-485_advancement_true-freedom-is-not-advanced-in-the-perm_3022915.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c9/pope-john-paul-ii-485_advancement_true-freedom-is-not-advanced-in-the-perm_3022915.jpg) > “True freedom is not advanced in the permissive society, which confuses freedom with license to do anything whatever and which in the name of freedom proclaims a kind of general amorality. It is a caricature of freedom to claim that people are free to organize their lives with no reference to moral values, and to say that society does not have to ensure the protection and advancement of ethical values. Such an attitude is destructive of freedom and peace.” [Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Freedom without moral grounding becomes license, eroding true liberty and societal peace. **In simple terms:** Freedom needs moral limits to stay true. Key Takeaway Uphold moral values in freedom. Themes ethics freedom society Mood thoughtful serious Type philosophical political When to use this quote - lawmaking - education - community building - public policy Key Concepts political philosophy human rights Questions to Reflect On - What moral principles should guide personal freedom? - How can societies protect ethical values? A Different Perspective Balancing liberty and morality is complex. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advancement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advancement/) [Attitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attitude/) [Caricatures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caricatures/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Claims](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/claims/) [Confuses Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confuses-freedom-4902483/) [Destructive Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destructive-freedom-4591571/) [Doe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doe/) [Ethical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ethical/) [Ethical values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ethical-values/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Freedom and peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom-and-peace/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Moral values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-values/) [Names](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/names/) [Organize](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/organize/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Permissive Society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/permissive-society-1894642/) [Protection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protection/) [True freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-freedom/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/) ## Related quotes > [Absolute discretion is a ruthless master. It is more destructive of freedom than any of man's other inventions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/absolute-discretion-is-a-ruthless-master-it-is-more-destructive-of/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [The notion that Western religions are more rigid than those of Asia is overdrawn. Ours is the most permissive society history has ever known…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huston-smith/the-notion-that-western-religions-are-more-rigid-than-those-of-asia/) [Huston Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huston-smith/) > [“Permissiveness cannot sustain true liberty for long. . . . In Sodom they probably had absolute free speech, but nothing worth saying! On the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-a-maxwell/permissiveness-cannot-sustain-true-liberty-for-long-in-sodom-they/) [Neal A. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-a-maxwell/) > [We live in far too permissive a society. Never before has pornography been this rampant. And those films are so badly lit!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/we-live-in-far-too-permissive-a-society-never-before-has-pornography/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [I love America because it is a confused, chaotic mess - and I hope we can keep it this way for at least another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/i-love-america-because-it-is-a-confused-chaotic-mess-and-i-hope-we/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [If God would have wanted us to live in a permissive society He would have given us Ten Suggestions and not Ten Commandments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zig-ziglar/if-god-would-have-wanted-us-to-live-in-a-permissive-society-he-would/) [Zig Ziglar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zig-ziglar/) > [The permissive society has been allowed to become a dirty phrase. A better phrase is the civilised society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-jenkins/the-permissive-society-has-been-allowed-to-become-a-dirty-phrase-a/) [Roy Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-jenkins/) > [Deep within yourself, listen to your conscience which calls you to be pure...a home is not warmed by the fire of pleasure which burns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/deep-within-yourself-listen-to-your-conscience-which-calls-you-to-be/) [Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/) > [Individual character involves honoring and embracing certain core ethical values; honesty, respect, responsibility . . . Parents must teach their children from the earliest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-clinton/individual-character-involves-honoring-and-embracing-certain-core/) [Bill Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-clinton/) > [Over the past two decades, we have clearly seen an erosion of ethical values.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/over-the-past-two-decades-we-have-clearly-seen-an-erosion-of-ethical/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I have never obtained any ethical values from my scientific work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/i-have-never-obtained-any-ethical-values-from-my-scientific-work/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [What the individual can do is to give a fine example, and to have the courage to uphold ethical values .. in a society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/what-the-individual-can-do-is-to-give-a-fine-example-and-to-have-the/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [Today is the parent of tomorrow. The present casts its shadow far into the future. That is the law of life, individual and social.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/today-is-the-parent-of-tomorrow-the-present-casts-its-shadow-far-into/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [Refined religion is aimed at realizing ethical values, including the fostering of human lives and human communities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-kitcher/refined-religion-is-aimed-at-realizing-ethical-values-including-the/) [Philip Kitcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-kitcher/) > [Undeniably, character does count for our citizens, out communities, and our Nation, and this week we celebrate the importance of character in our individual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/undeniably-character-does-count-for-our-citizens-out-communities-and/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) ## More by Pope John Paul II > [the path of goodness had a name it is called Love in it we find the key to every hope and has it's root…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/the-path-of-goodness-had-a-name-it-is-called-love-in-it-we-find-the/) [Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/) > [Man always travels along precipices... His truest obligation is to keep his balance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/man-always-travels-along-precipices-his-truest-obligation-is-to-keep/) [Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/) > [The way Jesus shows you is not easy. Rather, it is like a path winding up a mountain. Do not lose heart! The steeper…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/the-way-jesus-shows-you-is-not-easy-rather-it-is-like-a-path-winding/) [Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/) > [The Church must persist in the teaching transmitted to her by Christ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/the-church-must-persist-in-the-teaching-transmitted-to-her-by-christ/) [Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/) > [And Christ, through His own salvific suffering, is very much present in every human suffering, and can act from within that suffering by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/and-christ-through-his-own-salvific-suffering-is-very-much-present-in/) [Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/) > [“What is the difference between “creator” and “craftsman”? The one who creates bestows being itself, he brings something out of nothing— ex nihilo sui…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/what-is-the-difference-between-creator-and-craftsman-the-one-who/) [Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/) > [The enemy of the human race...invented a means never before heard of, by which he might hinder the preaching of God's word of Salvation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/the-enemy-of-the-human-race-invented-a-means-never-before-heard-of-by/) [Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/) > [Jesus Christ has taken the lead on the way of the cross. He has suffered first. He does not drive us toward suffering but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/jesus-christ-has-taken-the-lead-on-the-way-of-the-cross-he-has/) [Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/) > [Do you think that there can be anything greater than to bring Jesus to people and people to Jesus?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/do-you-think-that-there-can-be-anything-greater-than-to-bring-jesus/) [Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/) > [Do not be afraid to be saints. Follow Jesus Christ who is the source of freedom and light. 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The time has come when the splendor of this truth has… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/the-world-is-tired-of-ideology-and-is-opening-itself-to-the-truth-the/) [Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/) > [The only struggle which religions can justify, the only struggle worthy of humans, is the moral struggle against humanity's own disordered passions, against every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/the-only-struggle-which-religions-can-justify-the-only-struggle/) [Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/) > [The cemetery of the victims of human cruelty in our century is extended to include yet another vast cemetery, that of the unborn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/the-cemetery-of-the-victims-of-human-cruelty-in-our-century-is/) [Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/) > [The Church counters the culture of death with the culture of love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/the-church-counters-the-culture-of-death-with-the-culture-of-love/) [Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/) [Explore all 525 Pope John Paul II quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/) ## More Advancement quotes > [Advances in technology will continue to reach far into every sector of our economy. 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The ability to code and understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-gore/our-civilization-is-experiencing-unprecedented-changes-across-many/) [Al Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-gore/) [Browse all 423 Advancement quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advancement/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "True freedom is not advanced in the permissive society, which confuses freedom with license to do anything whatever and which in the name of freedom proclaims a kind of general amorality. It is a caricature of freedom to claim that people are free to organize their lives with no reference to moral values, and to say that society does not have to ensure the protection and advancement of ethical values. 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