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
To name a thing is easy: the difficulty is to discern it before its appearance.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Understanding something before it manifests is more challenging than simply naming it once it exists.
This quote by Pierre-Joseph Proudhon emphasizes the importance of discernment and insight. It suggests that it is relatively simple to identify or label things after they have become apparent, but the true challenge lies in recognizing their essence or potential before they reveal themselves. This speaks to the depth of understanding and the foresight required in various aspects of life.
Themes
DiscernmentUnderstandingInsightPerceptionWisdom
In practice
Example use cases
A speaker might use this quote in a lecture about the importance of critical thinking in decision-making.
More from Pierre-Joseph Proudhon
All quotes βI 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
As man seeks justice in equality, so society seeks order in anarchy.
Pierre-Joseph ProudhonRead
The possessions of the rich are stolen property.
Pierre-Joseph ProudhonRead
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