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Liberty, as it is conceived by current opinion, has nothing inherent about it; it is a sort of gift or trust bestowed on the individual by the state pending good behavior.

— Mary McCarthy On the Contrary: Articles of Belief 1946–1961 (1961)

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Source and credibility

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Source: "The Contagion of Ideas", p. 44. A speech delivered to a group of teachers (Summer 1952); not previously published
Work: On the Contrary: Articles of Belief 1946–1961, 1961
Source quality: Precise citation Points to a specific work with a page, chapter, date or similar locator, so you can look it up.

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Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Mary McCarthy (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.