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
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.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the inherent conflict between divine authority and human autonomy.
Mikhail Bakunin's quote illustrates the paradox of wanting both God and humanity to coexist while recognizing that these two concepts can be at odds with each other. When one enforces dominance over the other, it leads to a destructive outcome, emphasizing the tension between spiritual and humanistic ideals.
Themes
ContradictionHumanityGodTensionDestruction
In practice
Example use cases
During a philosophy class discussion on the nature of divinity and humanity.
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.
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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.
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By striving to do the impossible, man has always achieved what is possible.
Mikhail BakuninRead
To revolt is a natural tendency of life. Even a worm turns against the foot that crushes it. In general, the vitality and relative dignity of an animal can be measured by the intensity of its instinct to revolt.
Mikhail BakuninRead
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