Dictatorship Quote by George Orwell
““Power is not a means; it is an end. One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes the revolution in order to establish the dictatorship. The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: Power and Persecution, 1945
Power seeks itself; persecution and torture are ends, not means.
In simple terms: Power is self‑justifying.
Key Takeaway
Question the motives behind authority.
Themes
power
persecution
revolution
politics
Mood
critical
provocative
Type
political
philosophical
When to use this quote
- government policy
- activism
- historical analysis
Key Concepts
authoritarianism
philosophy
ethics
Questions to Reflect On
- What justifies the use of power?
- How does power corrupt its own purpose?
A Different Perspective
Power can become a self‑fulfilling prophecy.
![“[...] dictatorship, the most extreme form of tyranny, can never lead to social liberation.” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/869/noam-chomsky-42_dictatorship_dictatorship-the-most-extreme-form-of-ty_31180.jpg)
