--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Political liberty is only good insofar as…" description: "\"Political liberty is only good insofar as it produces private liberty.\" — Samuel Johnson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/822/samuel-johnson-50_freedom_political-liberty-is-only-good-insofar-a_3101987.png" --- # Political liberty is only good insofar as it produces… ![“Political liberty is only good insofar as it produces private liberty.” quote by Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/822/samuel-johnson-50_freedom_political-liberty-is-only-good-insofar-a_3101987.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/822/samuel-johnson-50_freedom_political-liberty-is-only-good-insofar-a_3101987.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/822/samuel-johnson-50_freedom_political-liberty-is-only-good-insofar-a_3101987.png) > “Political liberty is only good insofar as it produces private liberty.” [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Political freedom matters only when it secures individual personal freedoms. **In simple terms:** Freedom should protect personal rights. Key Takeaway Prioritize personal liberty in policy. Themes politics freedom individual rights Mood thoughtful critical Type philosophical political When to use this quote - legislation - public debate - civil rights movements Key Concepts liberalism social contract civil liberties Questions to Reflect On - What balance should be struck between public order and private liberty? - Can collective decisions ever justifiably restrict individual freedoms? A Different Perspective Freedom can be limited by collective security concerns. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) ## Related quotes > [They make a rout about universal liberty, without considering that all that is to be valued, or indeed can be enjoyed by individuals, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/they-make-a-rout-about-universal-liberty-without-considering-that-all/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Liberty is the proper end and object of authority, and cannot subsist without it; and it is liberty to that which is good, just,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-winthrop/liberty-is-the-proper-end-and-object-of-authority-and-cannot-subsist/) [John Winthrop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-winthrop/) > [ Trial by jury is a privilege of the highest and most beneficial nature \[and\] our most important guardian both of public and private liberty.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blackstone/trial-by-jury-is-a-privilege-of-the-highest-and-most-beneficial/) [William Blackstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blackstone/) > [To those who think that liberty is a good thing, and that it may someday be possible for people to live in a society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/to-those-who-think-that-liberty-is-a-good-thing-and-that-it-may/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [A liberty to that only which is good, just, and honest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-winthrop/a-liberty-to-that-only-which-is-good-just-and-honest/) [John Winthrop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-winthrop/) > [To me this question whether liberty is a good or a bad thing appears as irrational as the question whether fire is a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fitzjames-stephen/to-me-this-question-whether-liberty-is-a-good-or-a-bad-thing-appears/) [James Fitzjames Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fitzjames-stephen/) > [Liberty and good government do not exclude each other; and there are excellent reasons why they should go together. Liberty is not a means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/liberty-and-good-government-do-not-exclude-each-other-and-there-are/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) > [Political liberty in a citizen is that tranquillity of spirit which comes from the opinion each one has of his security, and in order…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baron-de-montesquieu/political-liberty-in-a-citizen-is-that-tranquillity-of-spirit-which/) [Baron de Montesquieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baron-de-montesquieu/) > [Individuality is the aim of political liberty. By leaving to the citizen as much freedom of action and of being as comports with order…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-f-cooper/individuality-is-the-aim-of-political-liberty-by-leaving-to-the/) [James F. Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-f-cooper/) > [“For the primary goal of the American Revolution which transferred American life and introduced a new era in human history, was not the overthrow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-bailyn/for-the-primary-goal-of-the-american-revolution-which-transferred/) [Bernard Bailyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-bailyn/) > [The world must be made safe for democracy. Its peace must be planted upon the tested foundations of political liberty. We have no selfish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woodrow-wilson/the-world-must-be-made-safe-for-democracy-its-peace-must-be-planted/) [Woodrow Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woodrow-wilson/) > [There is not a truth to be gathered from history more certain, or more momentous, than this: that civil liberty cannot long be separated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-story/there-is-not-a-truth-to-be-gathered-from-history-more-certain-or-more/) [Joseph Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-story/) > [The only security men can have for their political liberty, consists in keeping their money in their own pockets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/the-only-security-men-can-have-for-their-political-liberty-consists/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [Forced to choose, the poor, like the rich, love money more than political liberty; and the only political freedom capable of enduring is one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-durant/forced-to-choose-the-poor-like-the-rich-love-money-more-than/) [Will Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-durant/) > [Political liberty, the peace of a nation, and science itself are gifts for which Fate demands a heavy tax in blood!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/political-liberty-the-peace-of-a-nation-and-science-itself-are-gifts/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) ## More by Samuel Johnson > [The size of a man's understanding might always be justly measured by his mirth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-size-of-a-man-s-understanding-might-always-be-justly-measured-by/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Pound St. Paul's Church into atoms, and consider any single atom; it is to be sure, good for nothing; but put all these atoms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/pound-st-paul-s-church-into-atoms-and-consider-any-single-atom-it-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [You can never be wise unless you love reading.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/you-can-never-be-wise-unless-you-love-reading/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [If our aim is to praise, we should forget to criticize; if our aim is to criticize, we should remember to praise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/if-our-aim-is-to-praise-we-should-forget-to-criticize-if-our-aim-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [All theory is against free will; all experience is for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/all-theory-is-against-free-will-all-experience-is-for-it/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Had I learned to fiddle, I should have done nothing else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/had-i-learned-to-fiddle-i-should-have-done-nothing-else/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [It is as foolish to make experiments upon the constancy of a friend, as upon the chastity of a wife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/it-is-as-foolish-to-make-experiments-upon-the-constancy-of-a-friend/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Resolve not to be poor: whatever you have, spend less. Poverty is a great enemy to human happiness; it certainly destroys liberty, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/resolve-not-to-be-poor-whatever-you-have-spend-less-poverty-is-a/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The basis of all excellence is truth: he that professes love ought to feel its power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-basis-of-all-excellence-is-truth-he-that-professes-love-ought-to/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Words are daughters of earth but ideas are sons of heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/words-are-daughters-of-earth-but-ideas-are-sons-of-heaven/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“The composition of Shakespeare is a forest, in which oaks extend in the air, interspersed sometimes with weeds and brambles, and sometimes giving shelting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-composition-of-shakespeare-is-a-forest-in-which-oaks-extend-in/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“The cherubim were never intended as an object of worship, because they were only the appendices to another thing. But a thing is then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-cherubim-were-never-intended-as-an-object-of-worship-because-they/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Nobody has the right to put another under such a difficulty that he must either hurt the person by telling the truth or hurt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/nobody-has-the-right-to-put-another-under-such-a-difficulty-that-he/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [That kind of life is most happy which affords us most opportunities of gaining our own self-esteem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/that-kind-of-life-is-most-happy-which-affords-us-most-opportunities/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The time will come to every human being when it must be known how well he can bear to die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-time-will-come-to-every-human-being-when-it-must-be-known-how/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) [Explore all 1,998 Samuel Johnson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) ## 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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Right and wrong demand freedom of choice, but if each action…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lightman/in-a-world-of-fixed-future-there-can-be-no-right-or-wrong-right-and/) [Alan Lightman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lightman/) > [“In any case, white people, who had robbed black people of their liberty and who profited by this theft every hour that they lived,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-baldwin/in-any-case-white-people-who-had-robbed-black-people-of-their-liberty/) [James Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-baldwin/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“I have to blame myself for not finding any way of reaching him, but I can't feel that either Ruth or I had anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/i-have-to-blame-myself-for-not-finding-any-way-of-reaching-him-but-i/) [Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/) > [“It breaks my heart. 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