A complete victory of society will always produce some…
““A complete victory of society will always produce some sort of “communistic fiction,” whose outstanding political characteristic is that it is indeed ruled by an “invisible hand,” namely, by nobody. What we traditionally call state and government gives place here to pure administration—a state of affairs which Marx rightly predicted as the “withering away of the state,” though he was wrong in assuming that only a revolution could bring it about, and even more wrong when he believed that this complete victory of society would mean the eventual emergence of the “realm of freedom.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Predicts that a fully realized society will eliminate visible governance, leaving an abstract, invisible authority, but warns this may not yield true freedom.
In simple terms: A perfect society may replace government with unseen control.
Key Takeaway
Question the nature of freedom in post‑state societies.
Themes
politics
freedom
state
marxism
Mood
analytical
cautious
Type
philosophical
political
When to use this quote
- policy design
- social theory
- activist planning
Key Concepts
anarchism
bureaucracy
invisible power
Questions to Reflect On
- What safeguards prevent hidden authority?
- Is true freedom possible without structure?
A Different Perspective
The "invisible hand" can become unaccountable power.