Original artwork, not a still
Reflections on the Revolution in France • 1790
The effect of liberty to individuals is that they may do what they please: we ought to see what it will please them to do, before we risk congratulations.
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
The speaker argues that freedom lets people act on their wishes, which does not yet establish whether those wishes are good. Before celebrating liberty, the suggestion is to examine what people choose to do with it. The measured wording makes this a caution against premature congratulations.
Context reviewed
