Communism is inequality, but not as property is. Property is exploitation of the weak by the strong. Communism is exploitation of the strong by the weak.
Pierre-Joseph ProudhonRead
Laws: We know what they are, and what they are worth! They are spider webs for the rich and mighty, steel chains for the poor and weak, fishing nets in the hands of government.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the disparity in how laws are applied to different social classes, favoring the rich while oppressing the poor.
In this powerful observation by Proudhon, he critiques the justice system and legal framework, suggesting that laws serve as tools of oppression for the less fortunate and as protection for the wealthy. He metaphorically describes laws as 'spider webs' that ensnare the rich and powerful, while they act like 'steel chains' restraining the poor and weak, emphasizing the inequity inherent in societal structures.
Themes
LawsInequalityJusticeOppressionSocial Justice
In practice
Example use cases
In a debate on social justice, one might use this quote to illustrate how laws can perpetuate inequality.
More from Pierre-Joseph Proudhon
All quotes →I build no system. I ask an end to privilege, the abolition of slavery, equality of rights, and the reign of law. Justice, nothing else; that is the alpha and omega of my argument: to others I leave the business of governing the world.
Pierre-Joseph ProudhonRead
All men in their hearts, I say, bear witness to these truths; they need only to be made to understand it.
Pierre-Joseph ProudhonRead
A common danger tends to concord. Communism is the exploitation of the strong by the weak. In Communism, inequality comes from placing mediocrity on a level with excellence.
Pierre-Joseph ProudhonRead
To name a thing is easy: the difficulty is to discern it before its appearance.
Pierre-Joseph ProudhonRead
As man seeks justice in equality, so society seeks order in anarchy.
Pierre-Joseph ProudhonRead
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