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Injustice, poverty, slavery, ignorance - these may be cured by reform or revolution. But men do not live only by fighting evils. They live by positive goals, individual and collective, a vast variety of them, seldom predictable, at times incompatible.
Isaiah Berlin
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote suggests that while addressing societal problems is important, human existence is also defined by striving towards positive goals.

Isaiah Berlin highlights the dual nature of human life: the necessity of combating injustices and societal issues like poverty, slavery, and ignorance, which can be addressed through reform or revolution. However, he points out that merely fighting against these evils is insufficient for a fulfilling existence; people also thrive by pursuing diverse and often unpredictable positive aspirations that contribute to their individuality and collective experience.

Themes

InjusticePovertySlaveryIgnoranceGoalsReformRevolution

In practice

Example use cases

Using this quote in a speech about social reform.

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But to manipulate men, to propel them toward goals which you-the social reformers-see, but they may not, is to deny their human essence, to treat them as objects without wills of their own, and therefore to degrade them.
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