I am truly free only when all human beings, men and women, are equally free. The freedom of other men, far from negating or limiting my freedom, is, on the contrary, its necessary premise and confirmation.
Mikhail BakuninRead
Therefore, if God existed, only in one way could he serve human liberty - by ceasing to exist.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that the existence of God impedes human freedom, implying that true liberty comes from a world without divine authority.
Mikhail Bakunin's quote articulates a provocative stance on the relationship between divine authority and human freedom. He posits that for individuals to attain true liberty, the existence of God must be entirely relinquished. This viewpoint reflects an anarchist philosophy that champions the autonomy of individuals free from any external (especially divine) constraints, arguing that human beings should determine their own destiny without reliance on a higher power.
Themes
GodLibertyFreedomPhilosophyAnarchism
In practice
Example use cases
In a debate on religious influence in politics, one might use this quote to argue for secular governance.
More from Mikhail Bakunin
All quotes →We must overthrow the material and moral conditions of our present-day life. . . . We must first purify our atmosphere and completely transform the milieu in which we live; for it corrupts our instinct and our will, and constricts our heart and our intelligence
Mikhail BakuninRead
The liberty of man consists solely in this, that he obeys the laws of nature because he has himself recognized them as such, and not because they have been imposed upon him externally by any foreign will whatsoever, human or divine, collective or individual.
Mikhail BakuninRead
By striving to do the impossible, man has always achieved what is possible. Those who have cautiously done no more than they believed possible have never taken a single step forward.
Mikhail BakuninRead
By striving to do the impossible, man has always achieved what is possible.
Mikhail BakuninRead
This contradiction lies here: they wish God, and they wish humanity. They persist in connecting two terms which, once separated, can come together again only to destroy each other.
Mikhail BakuninRead
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