Q0615
“I am not a prisoner of history. I should not seek there…” — Frantz Fanon (Black Skin, White Masks, conclusion)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Black Skin, White Masks, conclusion. Theme: freedom.
English
I am not a prisoner of history. I should not seek there for the meaning of my destiny.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Black Skin, White Masks, conclusion and files it under Africana Philosophy. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Frantz Fanon
Frantz Fanon (1925–1961) was a Martinican psychiatrist and anti-colonial theorist who practiced in Algeria and joined the FLN. Black Skin, White Masks analyzes the psychic effects of antiblack racism; The Wretched of the Earth theorizes decolonization, violence, and national culture.
How to read this passage
Philosophers distinguish several ideas under the single word freedom. Negative freedom emphasizes non-interference; positive freedom emphasizes the capacity to act according to reasons, virtue, or authentic desire. This passage enters that discussion through freedom, self, time.
Concepts in this quote
- Freedom
- Freedom is among the most searched and most contested themes in philosophy: what it is to choose, to be responsible, and to live without illegitimate constraint.
- Self
- Philosophy quotes about self explore identity, responsibility, and the examined life—from Socrates’ unexamined life to modern phenomenology and existential authenticity.
- Time
- Philosophy of time asks what tense and duration are—and how memory, death, and history shape a human life.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Frantz Fanon. (n.d.). I am not a prisoner of history. I should not seek there for the meaning of my destiny. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0615
MLA: Frantz Fanon. “I am not a prisoner of history. I….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0615.
Chicago: Frantz Fanon. “I am not a prisoner of history. I….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0615.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “I am not a prisoner of history. I…”?
The passage is attributed to Frantz Fanon, Black Skin, White Masks, conclusion. The archive attributes this English wording to Black Skin, White Masks, conclusion and files it under Africana Philosophy. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Frantz Fanon mean by freedom?
Philosophers distinguish several ideas under the single word freedom. Negative freedom emphasizes non-interference; positive freedom emphasizes the capacity to act according to reasons, virtue, or authentic desire. This passage enters that discussion through freedom, self, time.