Freedom of Thought as a Basic Liberty

• DOI: 10.1177/0090591716676293
• Author: Lucas Swaine
• Published date: 01 June 2018
• Date: 01 June 2018
• Subject Matter: Articles

Political Theory

2018, Vol. 46(3) 405 –425

© 2016 SAGE Publications

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DOI: 10.1177/0090591716676293

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Article

Freedom of Thought as a

Basic Liberty

Lucas Swaine1

Abstract

Freedom of thought has been lauded in political theory and celebrated

in human rights discourse. But what kind of freedom is it? I propose that

freedom of thought deserves status as a basic liberty, given the significance

of thought to human life, the fundamental importance of freedom of thought

in establishing and sustaining crucial rights and freedoms, and the value of

being able to develop and experience one’s thoughts without undue influence

from others.

Keywords

liberty, thinking, thought, liberalism, human rights

Is freedom of thought a basic liberty? Notable statements in the liberal canon

suggest that it is, and a number of prominent international declarations and

resolutions voice the idea that something special graces freedom of thought.

But the nature of freedom of thought remains unclear; and it is far from obvious

that freedom of thought merits status as a basic liberty, alongside cardinal and

established freedoms of expression, religion, conscience, and association.

I examine whether freedom of thought should be considered a basic lib-

erty, in this article. I begin by noting the centrality of thinking to human life,

following which I elaborate a set of important views that emphasize the sig-

nificance of freedom of thought. I consider subsequently the place of

1Department of Government, Dartmouth College, NH, USA

Corresponding Author:

Lucas Swaine, Department of Government, Silsby Hall, Dartmouth College, Hanover,

NH 03755, USA.

Email: lucas.swaine@dartmouth.edu

676293PTXXXX10.1177/0090591716676293Political TheorySwaine

research-article2016

406 Political Theory 46(3)

freedom of thought in liberal political theory and in human rights discourse,

examining prominent statements within those traditions. I move then to

assess whether freedom of thought is distinguishable with respect to other

key liberties, following which I employ my findings to consider whether

freedom of thought merits status as a liberty of the basic kind. In the course

of analysis, I give reason to hold that freedom of thought is indeed special

and distinctive. I propose that freedom of thought deserves status as a basic

liberty, given the significance of thought to human life, the fundamental

importance of freedom of thought in establishing and sustaining crucial rights

and liberties, and the value of being able to develop and experience one’s

thoughts without undue interference from others.

The Importance of Thought

Thinking is a deeply important part of human life. Reflection and cogitation

sparkle in the realm of thought, and it is in thinking that ideas take shape.

Thinking connects to action, conditioning behavior and contributing to the

generation of outward activity. People’s social and political exchanges

involve and imply thoughts. When people air their opinions, they employ

their mental faculties, their expressions often reflecting the ideas and views

they possess. Thinking matters also when one disengages from conversation.

People spend a considerable amount of time alone with their thoughts; some

of this may be taken up in rumination or imagination, some spent evaluating

desires and assessing goals.

Thinking reveals additional significance when one considers what it might

be like not to think at all. It is common enough for authors to decry the lack

of careful thought in democratic majorities, or to bemoan citizens’ disuse of

their mental capacities. But critics chide the public for not thinking well, or

enough, or about the right things; or they voice concern about citizens draw-

ing unjustified or false conclusions and circulating them as though the points

were warranted and true. The critics’ concerns are not that citizens do not

think at all. To be devoid of thought would be not to exist as a social being, in

a normal, human sense of the word. Literally not to think would be to sleep-

walk dreamlessly through life; it would be to suffer exile from the fellowship

of mankind, as Philoctetes might say, marooned without even the quiet com-

pany of one’s mind.

The Idea of Freedom of Thought

Like thinking itself, the idea of freedom of thought proves to be a weighty

concern garnering support from many points on the political spectrum. Rosa