Balanced Quote by Ronald Dworkin
“Balanced' is a code for 'denied': a right to free speech that must be 'balanced' against so exhaustive a list of other supposed values means a right that can be exercised only when those in power judge that the speech in question is innocuous to them.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Public Commentary, 2000s
Freedom of speech is often conditioned on vague “balance” criteria that let authorities decide what is acceptable.
In simple terms: Free speech is limited by subjective judgments.
Key Takeaway
Demand clear, objective standards for speech.
Themes
free speech
power
balance
rights
government
Mood
critical
defiant
Type
analytical
political
When to use this quote
- legal debates
- media regulation
- political activism
- academic discourse
Key Concepts
liberalism
political theory
censorship
Questions to Reflect On
- Who decides what speech is “innocuous”?
- How can we protect speech without arbitrary limits?
A Different Perspective
Balancing can be used to silence dissent under the guise of fairness.
![“What is shocking and wrong is not [Lord Devlin's] idea that the community's morality counts, but his idea of what counts as the community's morality.” quote by Ronald Dworkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bbe/ronald-dworkin-51329_character_what-is-shocking-and-wrong-is-not-lord-d_426353.jpg)
