#Intellectual Autonomy

Thinking for Yourself as the Most Radical Act

Independence is trainable. Begin by actively seeking the strongest opposing case—Daniel Dennett’s rendering of Rapoport’s rules in Intuition Pumps (2013) is a practical guide to steelmanning. Pair this with source-tracing, numeracy about uncertainty, and the willingness to revise beliefs in public. As Richard Feynman cautioned in “Cargo Cult Science” (1974), the first principle is not to fool yourself—and you are the easiest person to fool. The radical act, then, is a routine: slow down, verify, compare, and only then conclude. Courage follows practice. [...]

Only the Educated Are Free - Epictetus

Epictetus was a Greek Stoic philosopher born into slavery in the Roman Empire. Through education and philosophy, he achieved intellectual freedom, reinforcing his belief that education is the key to true liberation, regardless of one's circumstances. [...]

Preserve and Protect Your Right to Think: The Foundation of Freedom — Erich Fromm

As a social psychologist, Erich Fromm often explored themes of freedom, individual autonomy, and societal structure. This quote reflects his recurring focus on the balance between individual responsibility and society's influence on our freedom. [...]