Practical Reason For Freedom

The practical reason for freedom is that freedom seems to be the only condition under which any kind of substantial moral fiber can be developed -- we have tried law, compulsion, and authoritarianism of various kinds, and the result is nothing to be proud of.

-- Albert Jay Nock (1873-1945), American author, social critic, and libertarian conservative, "On Doing the Right Thing", in The American Mercury (1925)