Quote by Abraham Lincoln
The world has never had a good definition of the word liberty, and the American people, just now, are much in want of one. We all declare for liberty; but in using the same word we do not all mean the same thing. With some the word liberty may mean for each man to do as he pleases with himself, and the product of his labor; while with others the same word may mean for some men to do as they please with other men, and the product of other mens labor. Here are two, not only different, but incompatable things, called by the same nameliberty. And it follows that each of the things is, by the respective parties, called by two different and incompatable namesliberty and tyranny.
Summary
This quote emphasizes the lack of a clear and universally accepted definition of the term "liberty." It suggests that people often proclaim their support for liberty without acknowledging that it can have different interpretations. Some perceive liberty as the freedom for individuals to govern themselves and enjoy the fruits of their labor, while others see it as the freedom for certain individuals to exert control over others and exploit their labor. As a result, two contrasting concepts, liberty and tyranny, can be viewed as different names for the same thing by different people.
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