The Quotes canon
Sourced and curated.
Every quote has been curated by hand and carefully authenticated.
Browse all 10,075 quotes or apply filters in different categories to narrow your search.
Browse all 10,075 quotes or apply filters in different categories to narrow your search.
Age of Enlightenment8 quotes
Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. — Benjamin Franklin · 1755The people never give up their liberties but under some delusion. — Edmund Burke · 1784In all ages of the world, priests have been enemies to liberty. — David Hume · 1741Among a people generally corrupt liberty cannot long exist. — Edmund Burke · 1777Whatever each man can separately do, without trespassing upon others, he has a right to do for himself; and he has a right to a fair portion of all which society, with all its combinations of skill and force, can do in his favor. — Edmund Burke · 1790If men were born free, they would, so long as they remained free, form no conception of good and evil. — Baruch Spinoza · 1677All 8 quotes →Classical antiquity4 quotes
The basis of a democratic state is liberty. — Aristotle · 350 BCHappiness depends on being free, and freedom depends on being courageous. — Pericles · 430 BCFor if liberty and equality, as is thought by some, are chiefly to be found in democracy, they will be best attained when all persons alike share in the government to the utmost. — Aristotle · 350 BCNot bound to swear allegiance to any master, wherever the wind takes me I travel as a visitor. — Horace · 20 BCThe Renaissance3 quotes
None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. — John Milton · 1649No man who knows aught, can be so stupid to deny that all men naturally were born free. — John Milton · 1649Give me the liberty to know, to utter, and to argue freely according to conscience, above all liberties. — John Milton · 1644American Revolutionary Period2 quotes
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. — Declaration of Independence · 1776The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure. — Thomas Jefferson · 1787Ancient World1 quote
Leave all things behind, and come unto me for thy salvation. I will make thee free from this bondage of sins. Fear no more. — Bhagavad Gita · 200 BCColonial America1 quote
The jaws of power are always opened to devour, and her arm is always stretched out, if possible to destroy, the freedom of thinking, speaking and writing. — John Adams · 1765New Testament Era1 quote
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. — Jesus · 90Old Testament Era1 quote
Let my people go. — God · 1405 BC