--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It appears first, that liberty is a…" description: "\"It appears first, that liberty is a natural, and government an adventitious right, because all men were originally free.\" — Thomas Clarkson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ba/thomas-clarkson-46106_freedom_it-appears-first-that-liberty-is-a-natur_2188014.png" --- # It appears first, that liberty is a natural, and… ![“It appears first, that liberty is a natural, and government an adventitious right, because all men were originally free.” quote by Thomas Clarkson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ba/thomas-clarkson-46106_freedom_it-appears-first-that-liberty-is-a-natur_2188014.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ba/thomas-clarkson-46106_freedom_it-appears-first-that-liberty-is-a-natur_2188014.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ba/thomas-clarkson-46106_freedom_it-appears-first-that-liberty-is-a-natur_2188014.png) > “It appears first, that liberty is a natural, and government an adventitious right, because all men were originally free.” [Thomas Clarkson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-clarkson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Liberty is inherent to humans, while government is an artificial construct created later. **In simple terms:** Freedom is natural; government is man‑made. Key Takeaway Recognize rights as inherent, not granted. Themes freedom government rights Mood thoughtful critical Type philosophical political When to use this quote - civil rights movements - constitutional debates - education curricula Key Concepts social contract natural law Questions to Reflect On - What responsibilities do governments have to uphold natural rights? - How does this view affect views on authority? A Different Perspective Governments can also protect liberty, complicating the view. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) ## Related quotes > [For all men being originally equals, no one by birth could have the right to set up his own family in perpetual preference to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/for-all-men-being-originally-equals-no-one-by-birth-could-have-the/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Just as war is the natural consequence of monopoly, peace is the natural consequence of liberty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustave-de-molinari/just-as-war-is-the-natural-consequence-of-monopoly-peace-is-the/) [Gustave de Molinari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustave-de-molinari/) > [... we have gratefully to receive from the hand of God the institution of the state with its magistrates as a means of preservation……](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-kuyper/we-have-gratefully-to-receive-from-the-hand-of-god-the-institution-of/) [Abraham Kuyper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-kuyper/) > [A wholesome regard for the memory of the great men of long ago is the best assurance to a people of a continuation of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calvin-coolidge/a-wholesome-regard-for-the-memory-of-the-great-men-of-long-ago-is-the/) [Calvin Coolidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calvin-coolidge/) > [It clearly follows that to make men moral it is necessary to make their social environment moral. 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