Failure Quote by Arthur Koestler
““It was a mistake in the system; perhaps it lay in the precept which until now he had held to be uncontestable, in whose name he had sacrificed others and was himself being sacrificed: in the precept, that the end justifies the means. . . . Perhaps later, much later, the new movement would arise—with new flags, a new spirit knowing of both: of economic fatality and the “oceanic sense.” Perhaps the members of the new party will wear monks’ cowls, and preach that only purity of means can justify the ends. Perhaps they will teach that the tenet is wrong which says that a man is the quotient of one million divided by one million, and will introduce a new kind of arithmetic based on multiplication: on the joining of a million individuals to form a new entity which, no longer an amorphous mass, will develop a consciousness and an individuality of its own, with an “oceanic feeling” increased a millionfold, in unlimited yet self-contained space. Rubashov broke off his pacing and listened. The sound of muffled drumming came down the corridor.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Darkness at Noon by Arthur Koestler, 1940
The passage critiques the belief that ends justify means and imagines a future where collective unity replaces individual sacrifice, emphasizing a shift from ruthless pragmatism to a more humane, communal ethic.
In simple terms: Questioning the idea that goals legitimize any method and envisioning a new collective consciousness.
Rethink means, value collective humanity.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- political activism
- social movements
- ethical decision making
- community building
- philosophical debate
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How can societies balance collective goals with individual rights?
- What safeguards prevent new movements from replicating old oppressions?
The ideal of pure means may be naïve when confronting entrenched power structures.