Boiler Quote by Georges Bernanos
“Justice in the hands of the powerful is merely a governing system like any other. Why call it justice? Let us rather call it injustice, but of a sly effective order, based entirely on cruel knowledge of the resistance of the weak, their capacity for pain, humilation and misery. Injustice sustained at the exact degree of necessary tension to turn the cogs of the huge machine-for-the-making-of-rich-men, without bursting the boiler.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Les Âmes fortes (The Intimate Strangers) by Georges Bernanos, 1945
Powerful elites shape law to maintain dominance, disguising oppression as justice while exploiting the weak’s suffering.
In simple terms: The powerful twist justice into oppression.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and resist systemic injustice.
Themes
power
justice
oppression
resistance
inequality
Mood
defiant
critical
urgent
Type
political
philosophical
activist
When to use this quote
- political activism
- labor organizing
- human rights advocacy
- community solidarity
Key Concepts
social contract
hegemony
structural violence
Questions to Reflect On
- How does power distort legal fairness?
- What can individuals do to expose hidden oppression?
A Different Perspective
It can be hard to change entrenched systems without collective action.
