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
As long as we have a master in heaven, we will be slaves on earth.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that belief in a higher power may lead to a lack of autonomy on earth.
Mikhail Bakunin's quote implies that the concept of divine authority and the notion of a 'master in heaven' can enslave individuals in their earthly lives by promoting submission and obedience. It critiques the idea that reliance on a higher power can diminish personal freedom and encourage passivity in the face of injustice or oppression.
Themes
FreedomAuthorityBeliefOppressionAutonomy
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used during a debate on the influence of religion in society.
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
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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