History Quote by Alexander Solschenizyn
““But in that grim world where everyone gnawed up whomever he could, where a human's life and conscience were bought for a ration of soggy bread - in that world who and where were the politicals, bearers of the honor and the torch of all the prison populations of history? We have already traced how the original "politicals" were divided, stifled, and exterminated. And in their place? Well - what did take their place? Since then we have had no politicals. And we could not possibly have any. What kind of "politicals" could we have if universal justice had been established? Once upon a time in the Tsarist prisons we put to good use the special privileges of the politicals, and, as a result, came to realize all the more clearly that had to be abolished. They simply . . . abolished the politicals. There are none, and there won't be any.””
About This Quote
Source Nonfiction: The Gulag Archipelago, Alexander Solhenitsyn, 1973
When universal justice is claimed, political dissent disappears, leaving no space for true political action.
In simple terms: True politics vanish under claimed universal justice.
Key Takeaway
Question the existence of politics under absolute justice.
Themes
politics
justice
authority
history
ideology
Mood
reflective
critical
Type
philosophical
analytical
When to use this quote
- legal reform
- civil activism
- academic debate
- personal reflection
Key Concepts
totalitarianism
human rights
moral philosophy
Questions to Reflect On
- What does "political" mean in a just society?
- Can true justice exist without opposition?
A Different Perspective
Ideal justice may suppress necessary dissent.
