Thomas E. Mann Quotes

I have always believed in the marketplace of ideas.

Under the First Amendment there is no such thing as a false idea. However pernicious an opinion may seem, we depend for its correction not on the conscience of judges and juries but on the competition of other ideas.

In the past, those who had ideas they wished to communicate to the public had the unquestioned right to disseminate those ideas in an open marketplace, called a mall, we should not abridge that right.

A public figure cannot control what people say in open meetings.

We cannot allow political pressure from critics of unpopular ideas to inhibit the free exchange of ideas.

Freedom of expression must be considered sacred and thought can only be corrected by counter thought.

The problem of freedom in America is that of maintaining a competition of ideas, and you do not achieve that by silencing one brand of idea.

In England, you're allowed to have an opinion - as long as it comes out of your mouth.

I believe in freedom of speech, but I believe we should also have the right to comment on freedom of speech.

I think Thomas Jefferson would have said the more speech, the better.

I believe in a free market of ideas and not shying away from debate.

I think the best thing in cases of censorship or things like this is to get as much media as possible.

I keep telling myself to calm down, to take less of an interest in things and not to get so excited, but I still care a lot about liberty, freedom of speech and expression, and fairness in journalism.

I don't think it makes any sense to try to get anyone to not talk.

People have a right to criticize.

As soon as you judge communication a little more rigorously, there is a possibility that the message will not be democratized. I have to say what I believe to be right. I have to spread out the statement among all the means of expression available to us at present.

Printers are educated in the Belief that when Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick; and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter. Hence they cheerfully serve all contending Writers that pay them well, without regarding on which side they are of the Question in Dispute... .It is likewise as unreasonable what some assert, That Printers ought not to print anything but what they approve, since if all of that Business should make such a Resolution, and abide by it, an End would thereby be put to Free Writing, and the World would afterwards have nothing to read but what happen'd to be the Opinions of Printers.

The long run of history, the censor and the inquisitor have always lost. The only weapon against bad ideas is better ideas.

In the long run of history, the censor and the inquisitor have always lost. The only sure weapon against bad ideas is better ideas. The source of better ideas is wisdom. The surest path to wisdom is a liberal education.

We can never be sure that the opinion we are endeavoring to stifle is a false opinion; and if we are sure, stifling would be an evil still.

The only valid censorship of ideas is the right of people not to listen.

If you have an open society that what happens—people say things and they criticize you.

We don’t need to ban bad ideas. We just need to criticize bad ideas.

The media, famously called the marketplace of ideas, is a failed market when a strong interest faces no like interest to generate competing ideas.

Brown’s core value of promoting the free and open exchange of ideas is bedrock to our capacity to fulfill our mission as a university. This value applies not only when ideas are agreeable and aligned with our own. Protecting the right to free expression and promoting open discourse is even more essential when ideas are divergent, abhorrent or even hurtful.