With the rest of my generation, I firmly believed that the…
““With the rest of my generation, I firmly believed that the ends justified the means. Our great goal was the universal triumph of Communism, and for the sake of the goal everything was permissible—to lie, to steal, to destroy hundreds of thousands and even millions of people, all those who were hindering our work or could hinder it, everyone who stood in the way. And to hesitate or doubt about all this was to give in to “intellectual squeamishness” and “stupid liberalism,” the attributes of people who “could not see the forest for the trees.”15””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The speaker condemns the belief that any political goal justifies immoral actions, highlighting the danger of ideological fanaticism that excuses violence and oppression.
In simple terms: Ends do not justify means.
Key Takeaway
Reject extremist ideology.
Themes
politics
ethics
totalitarianism
Mood
cautionary
somber
Type
political
historical
When to use this quote
- political movements
- revolutionary regimes
- human rights advocacy
Key Concepts
moral relativism
ideological fanaticism
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we prevent ideology from justifying cruelty?
- What safeguards protect societies from such thinking?
A Different Perspective
Extremism can blind moral judgment.