“Liberty, according to my metaphysics, is an intellectual quality, an attribute that belongs not to fate nor chance. Neither possesses it, neither is capable of it. There is nothing moral or immoral in the idea of it. The definition of it is a self-determining power in an intellectual agent. It implies thought and choice and power; it can elect between objects, indifferent in point of morality, neither morally good nor morally evil.”
Quote by John Adams
Work
The Political Writings of John Adams: Representative Selections
The Political Writings of John Adams: Representative Selections is a compilation of key political essays, letters, and speeches by the second President of the United States. The book offers insight into Adams's political philosophy, his views on the Constitution, and his role in the early years of the American Republic. more
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