Crime Quote by Herbert Marcuse
“When the whole is at stake, there is no crime except that of rejecting the whole, or not defending it. ... Those who identify themselves with the whole, who are installed as the leaders and defenders of the whole can make mistakes, but they cannot do wrong - they are not guilty. They may become guilty again when this identification no longer holds, when they are gone.”
About This Quote
Source Book: One-Dimensional Man, Herbert Marcuse, 1964
The quote argues that loyalty to a collective cause outweighs individual wrongdoing, and leaders are judged only when they abandon that cause.
In simple terms: Defending the whole justifies actions; abandoning it creates guilt.
Key Takeaway
Protect the collective, question abandonment.
Themes
politics
ethics
leadership
Mood
serious
reflective
Type
philosophical
political
ethical
When to use this quote
- political activism
- organizational leadership
- social movements
- community defense
Key Concepts
collective responsibility
identity
moral relativism
Questions to Reflect On
- What defines the "whole" you defend?
- When is dissent morally necessary?
A Different Perspective
If the "whole" is unjust, loyalty may perpetuate harm.
![“The citizens of a city are not guilty of the crimes committed in their city; but they are guilty as participants in the destiny of [humanity] as a whole and in the destiny of their city in particular; for their acts in which freedom was united with destiny have contributed to the destiny in which…” quote by Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/063/paul-tillich-3183_accused_the-citizens-of-a-city-are-not-guilty-of_285535.jpg)
![“[Art] can speak its own language only as long as the images are alive which refuse and refute the established order.” quote by Herbert Marcuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f06/herbert-marcuse-3589_alive_art-can-speak-its-own-language-only-as-l_17287.jpg)
