Full Idea
Government is bound to become extremely oppressive where dissident opinions which are within the domain of each individual, a right which no one can give up, are treated as a crime.
Gist of Idea
Government is oppressive if opinions can be crimes, because people can't give them up
Source
Baruch de Spinoza (Tractatus Theologico-Politicus [1670], 18.06 (2))
Book Reference
Spinoza,Benedict de: 'Theological-Political Treatise', ed/tr. Israel,Jonathan [CUP 2007], p.234
A Reaction
One might compare illicit desires, such as those of a paedophile, where it is a crime to act on them, but presumably they cannot be given up, so there is no point in legislating against the mere desires.