Sartre Quote by Carole Seymour-Jones
““Of course Sartre and Beauvoir were not alone in being seduced by Communism. Many of the Auden generation, on both sides of the Channel, had become infatuated with the socialist 'paradise', and remained blind to its atrocities.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Secret Life of the Auden Generation, Carole Seymour-Jones, 1995
The quote warns that many intellectuals of the Auden era were enamored with idealized socialism, overlooking its brutal reality.
In simple terms: Intellectuals were blind to socialism’s crimes.
Key Takeaway
Question seductive ideologies critically.
Themes
politics
history
ideology
literature
culture
Mood
critical
reflective
cautionary
Type
Sartre:0
Simone-de-beauvoir:0
Seduced Communism:1
Communism Auden:1
Sartre Beauvoir:0
Beauvoir Seduced:0
When to use this quote
- academic circles
- political discourse
- personal belief systems
Key Concepts
totalitarianism
illusion
intellectualism
Questions to Reflect On
- What evidence challenges your idealized view?
- How do you recognize propaganda?
A Different Perspective
Idealism can mask oppression.
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![“I always remind myself that [ Jean-Paul] Sartre and [Simone] de Beauvoir didn't have children. And when you don't have children, it might be easier to believe that the child doesn't come with something.” quote by Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c3f/zadie-smith-584_believe_i-always-remind-myself-that-jean-paul-sa_316002.jpg)
