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
To my utter despair I have discovered, and discover every day anew, that there is in the masses no revolutionary idea or hope or passion.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses a disillusionment with the lack of revolutionary spirit among people.
Mikhail Bakunin's quote reveals a deep sense of despair regarding the apathy and lack of progressive thought among the masses. Despite his hope for change, he finds that each day reinforces his belief that people are not driven by revolutionary ideas or passions, suggesting a critique of societal complacency and the challenges of instigating meaningful change within communities.
Themes
RevolutionApathyDisillusionmentSocietyChange
In practice
Example use cases
During a discussion on social change, I would quote Bakunin to highlight the need for active participation.
More from Mikhail Bakunin
All quotes βWe 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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