5 Quotes & Sayings By Henry Steele Commager

Henry Steele Commager was born in New York City. He received his Doctor of Philosophy degree from Columbia University in 1936. He served as a U.S. Army officer during World War II, was the editor of the Encyclopedia Britannica for six years, and then joined the staff of Life magazine as its senior editor Read more

Commager also taught at Columbia University and the University of California at Los Angeles.

1
A free society cherishes nonconformity. It knows that from the non-conformist, from the eccentric, have come many of the great ideas of freedom. A free society fertilizes the soil in which non-conformity and dissent and individualism can grow. Henry Steele Commager
2
Men in authority will always think that criticism of their policies is dangerous. They will always equate their policies with patriotism, and find criticism subversive. Henry Steele Commager
3
Censorship always defeats it own purpose, for it creates in the end the kind of society that is incapable of exercising real discretion. Henry Steele Commager
4
The fact is that censorship always defeats its own purpose, for it creates, in the end, the kind of society that is incapable of exercising real discretion. Henry Steele Commager