--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Blanqui is an important, if neglected…" description: "\"“Blanqui is an important, if neglected, nineteenth-century theorist, for unlike nearly all of his contemporaries, he dismissed the naive belief, centra..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/604/chris-hedges-2131_faith_blanqui-is-an-important-if-neglected-nin_1908718.jpg" --- # Blanqui is an important, if neglected, nineteenth-century… ![“Blanqui is an important, if neglected, nineteenth-century theorist, for unlike nearly all of his contemporaries, he dismissed the naive belief, central to Marx, that human history is a linear progression toward equality and greater morality. He warned that this absurd positivism is the lie…” quote by Chris Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/604/chris-hedges-2131_faith_blanqui-is-an-important-if-neglected-nin_1908718.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/604/chris-hedges-2131_faith_blanqui-is-an-important-if-neglected-nin_1908718.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/604/chris-hedges-2131_faith_blanqui-is-an-important-if-neglected-nin_1908718.jpg) > ““Blanqui is an important, if neglected, nineteenth-century theorist, for unlike nearly all of his contemporaries, he dismissed the naive belief, central to Marx, that human history is a linear progression toward equality and greater morality. He warned that this absurd positivism is the lie perpetrated by oppressors: “All atrocities of the victor, the long series of his attacks are coldly transformed into constant, inevitable evolution, like that of nature. . . . But the sequence of human things is not inevitable like that of the universe. It can be changed at any moment.”32 He also foresaw that scientific and technological advancement, rather than a harbinger of progress, could be “a terrible weapon in the hands of Capital against Work and Thought.”33”” [Chris Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hedges/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Blanqui argued that history isn’t a predetermined march toward equality; oppression reshapes narratives, and technology can become a tool of domination rather than progress. **In simple terms:** History isn’t inevitable; power can rewrite it, and tech can be weaponized. Key Takeaway Question power structures and guard against tech misuse. Themes history power technology philosophy politics Mood critical concerned Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - labor movements - policy debates - academic curricula - activist strategy Key Concepts determinism positivism marxism critical theory Questions to Reflect On - How can societies ensure technology serves humanity? - What mechanisms can prevent oppression from rewriting history? A Different Perspective Assumes all readers accept Blanqui’s pessimism without considering progressive agency. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Theorist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theorist/) ## Related quotes > [We have to grasp, as Marx and Adam Smith did, that corporations are not concerned with the common good. 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