--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Decisions are free when each of us…" description: "\"“Decisions are free when each of us settles his path through life by negotiation, playing his cards according to his own best judgement and without coe..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fd/roger-scruton-971_freedom_decisions-are-free-when-each-of-us-settl_780019.jpg" --- # Decisions are free when each of us settles his path… ![“Decisions are free when each of us settles his path through life by negotiation, playing his cards according to his own best judgement and without coercion from others. Traditional liberalism is the view that such a society is possible only if the individual members have sovereignty over their own…” quote by Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fd/roger-scruton-971_freedom_decisions-are-free-when-each-of-us-settl_780019.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fd/roger-scruton-971_freedom_decisions-are-free-when-each-of-us-settl_780019.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fd/roger-scruton-971_freedom_decisions-are-free-when-each-of-us-settl_780019.jpg) > ““Decisions are free when each of us settles his path through life by negotiation, playing his cards according to his own best judgement and without coercion from others. Traditional liberalism is the view that such a society is possible only if the individual members have sovereignty over their own lives – which means being free both to grant and to withhold consent respecting whatever relations may be proposed to them. Individual sovereignty exists only where the state guarantees rights, such as the right to life, limb and property, so protecting citizens from invasion and coercion by others, including invasion and coercion by the state.”” [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) ## 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 achieved when individuals negotiate life choices without coercion, and the state protects personal sovereignty and rights. **In simple terms:** Freedom through negotiation and state‑guaranteed rights. Key Takeaway Ensure personal autonomy while safeguarding rights. Themes liberty sovereignty state role individual rights negotiation Mood thoughtful critical analytical Type philosophical political When to use this quote - policy drafting - constitutional design - civil rights advocacy - public discourse Key Concepts political philosophy liberalism rights theory Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance individual autonomy with collective security? - What mechanisms prevent state overreach? A Different Perspective State protection may be insufficient against powerful private interests. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Liberalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberalism/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Right to life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-to-life/) ## Related quotes > [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 > [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. 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I'm in favor of a Constitutional amendment that would read something like this: 'Neither the federal government, nor any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-boortz/let-s-just-make-this-easy-i-m-in-favor-of-a-constitutional-amendment/) [Neal Boortz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-boortz/) ## More by Roger Scruton > [Beauty is vanishing from our world because we live as though it does not matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/beauty-is-vanishing-from-our-world-because-we-live-as-though-it-does/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [“So conceived, the English police force served to emphasize a fundamental truth about the English law, which is that it exists not to control…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/so-conceived-the-english-police-force-served-to-emphasize-a/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [My 2018 ended with a hate storm, in response to my appointment as chair of the government's Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/my-2018-ended-with-a-hate-storm-in-response-to-my-appointment-as/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [I've never been an optimist, but that's fine because pessimists have the possibility of being agreeably surprised.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/i-ve-never-been-an-optimist-but-that-s-fine-because-pessimists-have/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [Unlike every other product that is now manufactured for the table, wine exists in as many varieties as there are people who produce it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/unlike-every-other-product-that-is-now-manufactured-for-the-table/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [The abstract, unreal freedom of the liberal intellect was really nothing more than childish disobedience, amplified into anarchy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/the-abstract-unreal-freedom-of-the-liberal-intellect-was-really/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [“I think we can all see the force of the idea that there are certain things that cannot be done to human beings –…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/i-think-we-can-all-see-the-force-of-the-idea-that-there-are-certain/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [When art becomes merely shock value, our sense of humanity is slowly degraded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/when-art-becomes-merely-shock-value-our-sense-of-humanity-is-slowly/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [“Western democracies did not create the virtue of citizenship; on the contrary, they grew from it. 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I consider her a most pernicious influence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/delia-smith-is-actually-my-bete-noire-i-consider-her-a-most/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [Modern art was born from a desire to destroy kitsch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/modern-art-was-born-from-a-desire-to-destroy-kitsch/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) [Explore all 317 Roger Scruton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) ## 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. 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