Love consists in leaving the loved one space to be themselves while providing the security within which that self may flourish.
Tony JudtRead
If we remain grotesquely unequal, we shall lose all sense of fraternity: and fraternity, for all its fatuity as a political objective, turns out to be the necessary condition of politics itself.
Interpretation
What this quote means
True fraternity among people is essential for effective political discourse and harmony.
Tony Judt's quote emphasizes the importance of equality in fostering a sense of brotherhood among individuals, which he argues is essential for the functioning of politics. If society allows grotesque inequalities to persist, it undermines the foundation of fraternity, which, despite being frequently dismissed as an unrealistic political goal, is crucial for a cohesive and effective political landscape.
Themes
EqualityFraternityPoliticsSocietyBrotherhood
In practice
Example use cases
During a political rally, this quote can emphasize the need for equality in society.
More from Tony Judt
All quotes →If active or concerned citizens forfeit politics, they thereby abandon their society to its most mediocre and venal public servants
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Obviously a primary liberal conviction is that we should be tolerant of other peoples' convictions. But if we believe in something, we had better find ways to say so convincingly.
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Social democracy does not represent an ideal future; it does not even represent the ideal past.
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What I am against is false optimism: the notion either that things have to go well, or else that they tend to, or else that the default condition of historical trajectories is characteristically beneficial in the long-run.
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I'm not sure I've learned anything new about life; but I've had to think harder about death and what comes after for other people.
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