Anarch Quote by Ernst Jünger
““As I have said, I have nothing to do with the partisans. As an anarch, I wish to defy society not in order to improve it, but to hold it at bay no matter what. I suspend my achievements – but also my demands. As for the do-gooders, I am familiar with the horrors that were perpetrated in the name of humanity, Christianity, progress. I have studied them. I do not know whether I am correctly quoting a Gallic thinker: ‘Man is neither an animal nor an angel; but he becomes a devil when he tries to be an angel.””
About This Quote
Source Book: “The Forest Passage” (Der Waldgänger) by Ernst Jünger, 1971
The speaker rejects aligning with any political faction, preferring to oppose society without seeking its improvement, and warns that striving for perfection can corrupt humanity
In simple terms: Rejecting sides, opposing society, and warning against idealism
Key Takeaway
Beware of perfectism’s corrupting power
Themes
politics
philosophy
anarchism
human nature
Mood
skeptical
critical
reflective
Type
aphilosophical
political
ethical
When to use this quote
- activism
- academic debate
- personal reflection
- ethical decision making
Key Concepts
individualism
moral ambiguity
critique of progress
Questions to Reflect On
- What does it mean to oppose society without a constructive aim?
- Can striving for perfection ever be ethical?
A Different Perspective
Idealistic goals can lead to unintended harm
