Intellectual freedom is the right to freedom of thought and of expression of thought. As defined by Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, it is a human right. Article 19 states:
- Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
The modern concept of intellectual freedom developed out of an opposition to book censorship. It is promoted by several professions and movements. These entities include, among others, librarianship, education, and the Free Software Movement.
Read more about Intellectual Freedom: Issues, Intellectual Freedom and Librarianship, Intellectual Freedom Under Authoritarian Rule, Intellectual Freedom in Democratic Countries During Times of Crises
Famous quotes containing the words intellectual and/or freedom:
“To criticize is to appreciate, to appropriate, to take intellectual possession, to establish in fine a relation with the criticized thing and to make it one’s own.”
—Henry James (1843–1916)
“Gardening is civil and social, but it wants the vigor and freedom of the forest and the outlaw.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)