"We have to respect freedom only when it is intended for freedom, not when it strays, flees itself, and resigns itself. A freedom which is interested only in denying freedom must be denied. And it is not true that the recognition of the freedom of others limits my own freedom: to be free is not to have the power to do anything you like; it is to be able to surpass the given toward an open future; the existence of others as a freedom defines my situation and is even the condition of my own freedom. I am oppressed if I am thrown into prison, but not if I am kept from throwing my neighbor into prison."

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Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Added on April 10, 2026
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Original Language: English

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Imported from EN Wikiquote

https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/The_Ethics_of_Ambiguity