This site is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Alan William Smolowe who gave birth to the creation of this database.
The responsibility for change… lies with us. We must begin with ourselves, teaching ourselves not to close our minds prematurely to the novel, the surprising, the seemingly radical. This means fighting off the idea-assassins who rush forward to kill any new suggestion on grounds of its impracticality, while defending whatever now exists as practical, not matter how absurd, oppressive, or unworkable it may be. It means fighting for freedom of expression – the right of people to voice their ideas, even if heretical.
Absurd | Change | Fighting | Freedom | Ideas | Kill | Means | People | Responsibility | Right |
I know but one freedom and that is the freedom of the mind. As for any other freedom it is but a mockery and a delusion, for however free you may think yourself, you have to use the door when you go out of the room, nor are you free to make yourself young at will or to profit by the sun at night... Not-being is not freedom.
I know but one freedom and that is the freedom of the mind.
Arnold J. Toynbee, fully Arnold Joseph Toynbee
My own view of history is that human beings do have genuine freedom to make choices. Our destiny is not predetermined for us; we determine it for ourselves.
On realizing one’s true Self one does not change into a different being but simply realizes that one is not a being at all but simply “Being”; one attains freedom from identification with this or any other body-mind complex. The speeding arrow of karma may hit the body, but one is not the body. The body is subject to karma but the pure being of one’s Self is not... A Realized Man sees repercussions that could be called destiny overtaking the body that he occupies, but it does not occur to him that they concern him, and therefore he feels no emotion towards them. His body is subject to destiny, but he is not.
Arnold J. Toynbee, fully Arnold Joseph Toynbee
As human beings, we are endowed with freedom of choice, and we cannot shuffle off our responsibility upon the shoulders of God or nature. We must shoulder it ourselves. It is up to us.
I do not make success or failure the criteria by which I live. I like to take chances and I am impressed by others who do so with a freedom of spirit. Those who dare to try also dare to fail. This is a wonderful thing! If we limit ourselves to what is risk-free, we may be missing out on the most rewarding adventures in life.
Failure | Freedom | Life | Life | Risk | Spirit | Success | Failure |
Arthur Meier Schlesinger, Jr., born Arthur Bancroft Schlesinger
The individual freedoms destroyed by the increase in national authority have been in the main the freedom to deny black Americans their elementary rights as citizens, the freedom to work little children in mills... the freedom to pay starvation wages... the freedom to... pollute the environment - all freedoms that, one supposes, a civilized country can readily do without
Authority | Children | Freedom | Individual | Little | Rights | Work |
Arnold J. Toynbee, fully Arnold Joseph Toynbee
The distinctive characteristics of human nature are the freedom of the human consciousness and the human will.
Consciousness | Freedom | Human nature | Nature | Will |
Freedom of speech and freedom of action are meaningless without freedom to think. And there is no freedom of thought without doubt.
Action | Doubt | Freedom of speech | Freedom of thought | Freedom | Speech | Thought | Thought |
Freedom of speech and freedom of action are meaningless without freedom to think. And there is no freedom of thought without doubt.
Action | Doubt | Freedom of speech | Freedom of thought | Freedom | Speech | Thought | Thought |
Freedom of speech and freedom of action are meaningless without freedom to think.
Action | Freedom of speech | Freedom | Speech |
The wisest man may be wiser today than he was yesterday, and tomorrow than he is today. Total freedom from change would imply total freedom from error; but this is the prerogative of Omniscience alone.
Death is the liberator of him whom freedom cannot release; the physician of him whom medicine cannot cure; the comforter of him whom time cannot console.
Death is the liberator of him whom freedom cannot release, the physician of him whom medicine cannot cue, and the comforter of him whom time cannot console.