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Four Freedoms Speech: The Four Freedoms (Sentences 137-146) Summary

Finally

  • FDR finally gets to the most famous part of his speech: the Four Freedoms, which he prefaces with a brief meditation on a bright future where everything is sunny and there are golden retriever puppies for everyone.
  • Or, at least, a lot of freedom.
  • The Four Freedoms are as follows:
  • 1. Freedom of speech and expression...everywhere!
  • 2. Freedom of religion...everywhere!
  • 3. Freedom from want (which means freedom from suffering for lack of things like food, shelter, clothing, security, and other basic quality-of-life things)...everywhere!
  • 4. Freedom from fear (by which FDR specifically means fear of military aggression from other nations)...everywhere!
  • FDR asserts that these freedoms are attainable in the very near future.
  • He characterizes a world defined by the Four Freedoms as antithetical to the destructive tyranny promoted by the Axis powers.
  • He confronts the tyrannical order of the Axis powers with a "great conception," which is the "moral order."
  • He claims that a "good society," i.e. a society of moral order, can face tyranny and destructive political forces without fear.