Beyond good and evil Quote by C.G. Jung
““The dictator State has one great advantage over bourgeois reason: along with the individual it swallows up his religious forces. The State takes the place of God; that is why, seen from this angle, the socialist dictatorships are religions and State slavery is a form of worship. But the religious function cannot be dislocated and falsified in this way without giving rise to secret doubts, which are immediately repressed so as to avoid conflict with the prevail trend towards mass-mindedness. […] The policy of the State is exalted to a creed, the leader or party boss becomes a demigod beyond good and evil, and his votaries are honoured as heroes, martyrs, apostles, missionaries. There is only one truth and beside it no other. It is sacrosanct and above criticism. Anyone who thinks differently is a heretic, who, as we know from history, is threatened with all manner of unpleasant things. Only the party boss, who holds the political power in his hands, can interpret the State doctrine authentically, and he does so just as suits him.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious, 1959
The state replaces religion, turning political authority into a sacred, unquestionable doctrine that suppresses dissent and creates a cult of personality.
In simple terms: The state acts like a religion, demanding blind loyalty.
Beware of political power that claims divine authority.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- government propaganda
- party loyalty
- public dissent
- civil society
- human rights activism
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How do societies resist the deification of political leaders?
- What mechanisms protect individual conscience?
Such absolute authority can stifle critical thought and lead to oppression.