Barbarians Quote by Bertolt Brecht
“We attacked a foreign people and treated them like rebels. As you know, it's all right to treat barbarians barbarically. It's the desire to be barbaric that makes governments call their enemies barbarians.”
About This Quote
Source Play: The Mother (Die Mutter), 1932
Governments label enemies as barbarians to justify cruelty; the desire for barbarism fuels such dehumanization.
In simple terms: Power uses dehumanization to legitimize violence.
Key Takeaway
Question labels that dehumanize others.
Themes
politics
war
ethics
Mood
critical
somber
Type
political
philosophical
When to use this quote
- military interventions
- political rhetoric
- media framing
Key Concepts
state violence
othering
propaganda
Questions to Reflect On
- Why do societies adopt barbaric language?
- What alternatives exist to dehumanizing opponents?
A Different Perspective
Simplistic labeling can overlook complex causes.
