It is good to have an end to journey towards; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.
Ursula K. Le GuinRead
We live in capitalism. Its power seems inescapable. So did the divine right of kings.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on the pervasive nature of capitalism and draws a parallel to historical systems of power that seemed unchallengeable.
Ursula K. Le Guin's quote prompts us to consider the inherent structures of power that define our society, particularly capitalism, which can feel all-consuming and unchangeable. By comparing it to the concept of the divine right of kings, she highlights that just as past forms of governance were once thought to be ordained and absolute, so too can capitalism be viewed as a system that may eventually be challenged or transformed by collective human action.
Themes
CapitalismPowerSocial ChangeHistorySociety
In practice
Example use cases
During a lecture on social systems, one could use this quote to spark discussion on the nature of power in societal structures.
More from Ursula K. Le Guin
All quotes βIn reading a novel, any novel, we have to know perfectly well that the whole thing is nonsense, and then, while reading, believe every word of it. Finally, when we're done with it, we may find - if it's a good novel - that we're a bit different from what we were before we read it, that we have changed a little... But it's very hard to say just what we learned, how we were changed.
Ursula K. Le GuinRead
Reason is a faculty far larger than mere objective force. When either the political or the scientific discourse announces itself as the voice of reason, it is playing God, and should be spanked and stood in the corner.
Ursula K. Le GuinRead
The only thing that makes life possible is permanent, intolerable uncertainty; not knowing what comes next.
Ursula K. Le GuinRead
We read books to find out who we are. What other people, real or imaginary, do and think and feel... is an essential guide to our understanding of what we ourselves are and may become.
Ursula K. Le GuinRead
When he found that the administrators were upset, he laughed. βDo they expect students not to be anarchists?β he said. βWhat else can the young be? When you are on the bottom, you must organize from the bottom up
Ursula K. Le GuinRead
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