Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.
Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety…
Year: 1759
Context: Historical Review of Pennsylvania
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Notations:
This information can be found at Wikiquote
- This was first written by Franklin for the Pennsylvania Assembly in its Reply to the Governor (11 Nov. 1755)
- This quote was used as a motto on the title page of An Historical Review of the Constitution and Government of Pennsylvania (1759); the book was published by Franklin; its author was Richard Jackson, but Franklin did claim responsibility for some small excerpts that were used in it.
- An earlier variant by Franklin in Poor Richard’s Almanack (1738): “Sell not virtue to purchase wealth, nor Liberty to purchase power.“
- Many paraphrased derivatives of this have often become attributed to Franklin:
- They that can give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.
- They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
- Those Who Sacrifice Liberty For Security Deserve Neither.
- He who would trade liberty for some temporary security, deserves neither liberty nor security.
- He who sacrifices freedom for security deserves neither.
- People willing to trade their freedom for temporary security deserve neither and will lose both.
- If we restrict liberty to attain security we will lose them both.
- Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.
- He who gives up freedom for safety deserves neither.
- Those who would trade in their freedom for their protection deserve neither.
- Those who give up their liberty for more security neither deserve liberty nor security.