“The shepherd drives the wolf from the sheep’s throat, for which the sheep thanks the shepherd as his liberator, while the wolf denounces him for the same act as the destroyer of liberty. Plainly, the sheep and the wolf are not agreed upon a definition of liberty.”
- February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865
- American
- Politician, lawyer
- As the 16th President of the United States, he issued the Emancipation Proclamation and led the Civil War to maintain the unity of the nation.
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Quote
“The shepherd drives the wolf from the sheep’s throat, for which the sheep thanks the shepherd as his liberator, while the wolf denounces him for the same act as the destroyer of liberty. Plainly, the sheep and the wolf are not agreed upon a definition of liberty.”
Explanation
In this famous quote, Abraham Lincoln uses the metaphor of the shepherd, the wolf, and the sheep to illustrate how different groups perceive the concept of freedom or liberty. The sheep, grateful for being saved from the wolf, views the shepherd as a liberator, while the wolf, whose freedom to attack the sheep is constrained, perceives the same action as a destruction of liberty. Lincoln uses this metaphor to show that liberty is not a one-size-fits-all concept—what one group sees as a freedom may be seen by another as oppression.
Historically, this quote reflects the divisions within the United States during the Civil War, especially regarding the institution of slavery. For those who supported slavery, the emancipation of enslaved people was seen as an infringement upon their liberty—their right to own property, including human beings. On the other hand, the abolitionists and enslaved individuals saw the same action as a liberation, where their freedom was finally being recognized and granted. Lincoln himself navigated these conflicting views of freedom throughout his presidency, attempting to balance the moral imperative of ending slavery with the political realities of maintaining the Union.
In the modern world, the concept of liberty remains similarly subjective, with competing ideologies often defining freedom in vastly different ways. For example, in debates over civil liberties versus national security, some argue that increasing government surveillance to prevent terrorism infringes on personal freedoms, while others see it as a necessary sacrifice for the greater good. Similarly, in debates over economic policies, some view government intervention as a restriction of liberty, while others see it as a way to ensure fairness and equity. Lincoln’s metaphor encourages us to recognize that freedom can mean different things to different people, depending on their perspectives and interests.
