--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The right to work, I had assumed, was the…" description: "\"The right to work, I had assumed, was the most precious liberty that man possesses. Man has indeed as much right to work as he has to live, to be free,..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/332/william-o-douglas-2931_economy_the-right-to-work-i-had-assumed-was-the_995737.jpg" --- # The right to work, I had assumed, was the most precious… ![“The right to work, I had assumed, was the most precious liberty that man possesses. Man has indeed as much right to work as he has to live, to be free, to own property.” quote by William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/332/william-o-douglas-2931_economy_the-right-to-work-i-had-assumed-was-the_995737.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/332/william-o-douglas-2931_economy_the-right-to-work-i-had-assumed-was-the_995737.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/332/william-o-douglas-2931_economy_the-right-to-work-i-had-assumed-was-the_995737.jpg) > “The right to work, I had assumed, was the most precious liberty that man possesses. Man has indeed as much right to work as he has to live, to be free, to own property.” [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Work is presented as a fundamental freedom essential to human dignity and liberty. **In simple terms:** Work is a basic human right. Key Takeaway Protect workers’ rights as essential liberties. Themes labor rights freedom human dignity Mood analytical serious Type legal philosophical When to use this quote - union organizing - minimum wage debates - employment contracts Key Concepts constitutional law economic rights Questions to Reflect On - Is work always a liberty or sometimes a burden? - How should societies prioritize work versus other freedoms? A Different Perspective Balancing work rights with economic constraints can be complex. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Economy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economy/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Liberalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberalism/) [Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Property](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/property/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) ## Related quotes > [Our country may be likened to a new house. We lack many things, but we possess the most precious of all - liberty!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-monroe/our-country-may-be-likened-to-a-new-house-we-lack-many-things-but-we/) [James Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-monroe/) > [The right of nature... is the liberty each man hath to use his own power, as he will himself, for the preservation of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hobbes/the-right-of-nature-is-the-liberty-each-man-hath-to-use-his-own-power/) [Thomas Hobbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hobbes/) > [The Declaration of Independence states that the Creator gave man the right to liberty. It seems man can realize that liberty only if he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-havel/the-declaration-of-independence-states-that-the-creator-gave-man-the/) [Vaclav Havel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-havel/) > [We want a state of things in which crime will not pay, a state of things which allows every man the largest liberty compatible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/we-want-a-state-of-things-in-which-crime-will-not-pay-a-state-of/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [When capital owners are few, the private-property conduits of necessity create vast savings reservoirs for those few. If there were many owners, the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-o-kelso/when-capital-owners-are-few-the-private-property-conduits-of/) [Louis O. Kelso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-o-kelso/) > [Take Milton Friedman, he sits at his desk pontificating about such bunk as the monetary system being the answer to our problems. The monetary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-o-kelso/take-milton-friedman-he-sits-at-his-desk-pontificating-about-such/) [Louis O. Kelso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-o-kelso/) > [Under the old philosophy which had governed the high Middle Ages things had been everywhere towards a condition of Society in which property was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilaire-belloc/under-the-old-philosophy-which-had-governed-the-high-middle-ages/) [Hilaire Belloc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilaire-belloc/) > [The institution of private property... is undergoing, at this time, a strain never put on it before. Not because the corporation, in essence, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-s-grosscup/the-institution-of-private-property-is-undergoing-at-this-time-a/) Peter S. Grosscup > [The people of America are a people of property; almost every man is a freeholder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/the-people-of-america-are-a-people-of-property-almost-every-man-is-a/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [It is Mind which determines the change of Society, and it was because the mind at work was a Catholic mind that the slave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilaire-belloc/it-is-mind-which-determines-the-change-of-society-and-it-was-because/) [Hilaire Belloc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilaire-belloc/) > [We very much hope that as we get growth that we can reduce the burden of taxation, that we can reduce income tax and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/we-very-much-hope-that-as-we-get-growth-that-we-can-reduce-the-burden/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [Had there been any existent vital and energetic institution left in Society after the Reformation for the use of small property in coordinated form-that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilaire-belloc/had-there-been-any-existent-vital-and-energetic-institution-left-in/) [Hilaire Belloc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilaire-belloc/) > [Liberalism makes this mistake in regard to private property and Marxism makes it in regard to socialized property... The Marxist illusion is partly derived…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/liberalism-makes-this-mistake-in-regard-to-private-property-and/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [We may... affirm that the balance of power in a society accompanies the balance of property in land. The only possible way, then, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/we-may-affirm-that-the-balance-of-power-in-a-society-accompanies-the/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [I've long believed one of the mainsprings of our own liberty has been the widespread ownership of property among our people and the expectation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-long-believed-one-of-the-mainsprings-of-our-own-liberty-has-been/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) ## More by William O. Douglas > [The First Amendment makes confidence in the common sense of our people and in the maturity of their judgement the great postulate of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/the-first-amendment-makes-confidence-in-the-common-sense-of-our/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [Common sense often makes good law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/common-sense-often-makes-good-law/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [Inanimate objects are sometimes parties to litigation. A ship has a legal personality, a fiction found useful for maritime purposes. The corporation sole -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/inanimate-objects-are-sometimes-parties-to-litigation-a-ship-has-a/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [Any test that turns on what is offensive to the community's standards is too loose, too capricious, too destructive of freedom of expression to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/any-test-that-turns-on-what-is-offensive-to-the-community-s-standards/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [I've often thought that if planners were botanists, zoologists, geologists, and people who know about the earth, we would have much more wisdom in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/i-ve-often-thought-that-if-planners-were-botanists-zoologists/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [I have the same confidence in the ability of our people to reject noxious literature as I have in their capacity to sort out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/i-have-the-same-confidence-in-the-ability-of-our-people-to-reject/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [The liberties of none are safe unless the liberties of all are protected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/the-liberties-of-none-are-safe-unless-the-liberties-of-all-are/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [A function of free speech under our system of government is to invite dispute. It may indeed best serve its high purpose when it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/a-function-of-free-speech-under-our-system-of-government-is-to-invite/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [At the constitutional level where we work, 90 percent of any decision is emotional. The rational part of us supplies the reasons for supporting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/at-the-constitutional-level-where-we-work-90-percent-of-any-decision/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [To be whole and harmonious, man must also know the music of the beaches and the woods. He must find the thing of which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/to-be-whole-and-harmonious-man-must-also-know-the-music-of-the/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [Sunlight is the best disinfectant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/sunlight-is-the-best-disinfectant/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [We deal with a right of privacy older than the Bill of Rights-older than our political parties, older than our school system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/we-deal-with-a-right-of-privacy-older-than-the-bill-of-rights-older/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [It is our attitude toward free thought and free expression that will determine our fate. There must be no limit on the range of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/it-is-our-attitude-toward-free-thought-and-free-expression-that-will/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [The interests of the corporation state are to convert all the riches of the earth into dollars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/the-interests-of-the-corporation-state-are-to-convert-all-the-riches/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [There have always been grievances and youth has always been the agitator.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/there-have-always-been-grievances-and-youth-has-always-been-the/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) [Explore all 145 William O. Douglas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) ## More Economy quotes > [Things are going well in Germany because the economy is booming and as an export-driven nation, we are profiting from the fact that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-schulz/things-are-going-well-in-germany-because-the-economy-is-booming-and/) [Martin Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-schulz/) > [Advances in technology will continue to reach far into every sector of our economy. Future job and economic growth in industry, defense, transportation, agriculture,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bond/advances-in-technology-will-continue-to-reach-far-into-every-sector/) [Christopher Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bond/) > [I was born and raised in Orlando, where the economy and culture has been powerfully shaped by tourism, and so I've long been interested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-van-den-berg/i-was-born-and-raised-in-orlando-where-the-economy-and-culture-has/) [Laura van den Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-van-den-berg/) > [A strong, durable Puerto Rican economy will leave the island better prepared to handle future natural disasters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-campos-duffy/a-strong-durable-puerto-rican-economy-will-leave-the-island-better/) [Rachel Campos-Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-campos-duffy/) > [I've long believed one of the mainsprings of our own liberty has been the widespread ownership of property among our people and the expectation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-long-believed-one-of-the-mainsprings-of-our-own-liberty-has-been/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [There is no precedent of an advanced economy withdrawing from a trade agreement as deep and as complex as the European Union.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-johnson/there-is-no-precedent-of-an-advanced-economy-withdrawing-from-a-trade/) [Jo Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-johnson/) > [Politics is about power. It is about the power of the state. It is about the power of the state as applied to individuals,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-rudd/politics-is-about-power-it-is-about-the-power-of-the-state-it-is/) [Kevin Rudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-rudd/) > [We're going to create factory jobs for recent immigrants, and Donald Trump is going to take care of them. That's why his numbers, even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-sessions/we-re-going-to-create-factory-jobs-for-recent-immigrants-and-donald/) [Jeff Sessions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-sessions/) > [Having an economy that works for the 99% is achievable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winnie-byanyima/having-an-economy-that-works-for-the-99-is-achievable/) [Winnie Byanyima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winnie-byanyima/) > [Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy and employ almost half of the working population. Yet because of their size, they rarely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-lipinski/small-businesses-are-the-backbone-of-the-american-economy-and-employ/) [Dan Lipinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-lipinski/) > [At times of recession, running a budget deficit is highly desirable. Once the economy begins to recover, you have to balance the budget. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/at-times-of-recession-running-a-budget-deficit-is-highly-desirable/) [George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) > [However, however, if the goal is to abandon America's free enterprise economy, if the goal is to convert America into a submissive member of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/however-however-if-the-goal-is-to-abandon-america-s-free-enterprise/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [America is stronger than Russia. Our economy is 16 times larger than the Russian economy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/america-is-stronger-than-russia-our-economy-is-16-times-larger-than/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [Right now, the government is spending billions of dollars supporting the problem-makers in the U.S. economy - the polluters, despoilers, incarcerators, and warmongers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/right-now-the-government-is-spending-billions-of-dollars-supporting/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [As president, things that you're supposed to focus on, things like the economy, like energy policy, which is completely tied to national security, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-burgum/as-president-things-that-you-re-supposed-to-focus-on-things-like-the/) [Doug Burgum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-burgum/) [Browse all 6,596 Economy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The right to work, I had assumed, was the most precious liberty that man possesses. Man has indeed as much right to work as he has to live, to be free, to own property.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William O. Douglas" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/the-right-to-work-i-had-assumed-was-the-most-precious-liberty-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Economy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/the-right-to-work-i-had-assumed-was-the-most-precious-liberty-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/332/william-o-douglas-2931_economy_the-right-to-work-i-had-assumed-was-the_995737.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/332/william-o-douglas-2931_economy_the-right-to-work-i-had-assumed-was-the_995737.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/332/william-o-douglas-2931_economy_the-right-to-work-i-had-assumed-was-the_995737.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The right to work, I had assumed, was the most precious liberty that man possesses. Man has indeed as much…” — William O. Douglas", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "William O. Douglas", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The right to work, I had...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/the-right-to-work-i-had-assumed-was-the-most-precious-liberty-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/the-right-to-work-i-had-assumed-was-the-most-precious-liberty-that/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```