--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is, let me say, at the very least by…" description: "\"It is, let me say, at the very least by no means self-evident that there is more liberty, equality, and fraternity in the world today than there was on..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/523/immanuel-wallerstein-11305_capitalism_it-is-let-me-say-at-the-very-least-by-no_1528568.jpg" --- # It is, let me say, at the very least by no means… ![“It is, let me say, at the very least by no means self-evident that there is more liberty, equality, and fraternity in the world today than there was one thousand years ago. One might arguably suggest that the opposite is true. I seek to paint no idyll of the worlds before historical capitalism…” quote by Immanuel Wallerstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/523/immanuel-wallerstein-11305_capitalism_it-is-let-me-say-at-the-very-least-by-no_1528568.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/523/immanuel-wallerstein-11305_capitalism_it-is-let-me-say-at-the-very-least-by-no_1528568.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/523/immanuel-wallerstein-11305_capitalism_it-is-let-me-say-at-the-very-least-by-no_1528568.jpg) > “It is, let me say, at the very least by no means self-evident that there is more liberty, equality, and fraternity in the world today than there was one thousand years ago. One might arguably suggest that the opposite is true. I seek to paint no idyll of the worlds before historical capitalism. They were worlds of little liberty, little equality, and little fraternity. The only question is whether historical capitalism represented progress in these regards, or regression.” [Immanuel Wallerstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-wallerstein/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote questions whether historical capitalism increased liberty, equality, and fraternity compared to earlier eras, acknowledging uncertainty and debate. **In simple terms:** Questioning if capitalism improved social freedoms over time. Key Takeaway Consider both gains and losses under capitalism. Themes history politics economics social change Mood reflective critical analytical Type philosophical historical When to use this quote - academic debate - policy analysis - education - public discourse - historical comparison Key Concepts World-systems theory progress regression ideology Questions to Reflect On - How do we measure liberty across centuries? - What evidence shows regression under capitalism? A Different Perspective Capitalism’s impact varies across regions and classes, making simple judgments hard. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Capitalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capitalism/) [Fraternity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fraternity/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Historical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/historical/) [Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty/) [Opposites](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opposites/) [Progress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/progress/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Thousand years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thousand-years/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [World today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-today/) ## Related quotes > [What distinguishes the historical social system we are calling historical capitalism is that in this historical system capital came to be used (invested) in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-wallerstein/what-distinguishes-the-historical-social-system-we-are-calling/) [Immanuel Wallerstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-wallerstein/) > [It is this third consequence that has been elaborated in greatest detail and has formed one of the most significant pillars of historical capitalism,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-wallerstein/it-is-this-third-consequence-that-has-been-elaborated-in-greatest/) [Immanuel Wallerstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-wallerstein/) > [Historical capitalism is a materialist civilization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-wallerstein/historical-capitalism-is-a-materialist-civilization/) [Immanuel Wallerstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-wallerstein/) > [It was the French Revolution that served as the catalyst of this renovation. Its impact was to make the concept of popular sovereignty the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-wallerstein/it-was-the-french-revolution-that-served-as-the-catalyst-of-this/) [Immanuel Wallerstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-wallerstein/) > [The first and probably most fundamental aspect of this crisis is that we are now close to the commodification of everything. That is, historical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-wallerstein/the-first-and-probably-most-fundamental-aspect-of-this-crisis-is-that/) [Immanuel Wallerstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-wallerstein/) > [It seems to me the only pertinent question is: cui bono? 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You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/binod-shankar/it-s-extremely-unlikely-you-will-be-magically-transformed-from-a/) Binod Shankar > [Donald Trump as a figurehead is the opposite of that - he's regression, he's taking a step backward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ansel-elgort/donald-trump-as-a-figurehead-is-the-opposite-of-that-he-s-regression/) [Ansel Elgort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ansel-elgort/) > [“...maintaining good regression tests is the key to refactoring with confidence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-hunt/maintaining-good-regression-tests-is-the-key-to-refactoring-with/) [Andrew Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-hunt/) ## More by Immanuel Wallerstein > [“La science sociale di XIXe siecle nous a legue un terrible heritage, l'idee que els processus se divisent en trois champs separes: le politique,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-wallerstein/la-science-sociale-di-xixe-siecle-nous-a-legue-un-terrible-heritage-l/) [Immanuel Wallerstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-wallerstein/) > [Uncertainty is wondrous, and.. certainty, were it to be real, would be moral death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-wallerstein/uncertainty-is-wondrous-and-certainty-were-it-to-be-real-would-be/) [Immanuel Wallerstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-wallerstein/) > [A second variety concentrated on presumed major transformations of the capitalist system as of some recent point in time, in which the whole earlier…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-wallerstein/a-second-variety-concentrated-on-presumed-major-transformations-of/) [Immanuel Wallerstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-wallerstein/) > [I am suggesting that there is, and always has been, a rather high correlation between ethnicity and occupation/economic role throughout the various time-space zones…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-wallerstein/i-am-suggesting-that-there-is-and-always-has-been-a-rather-high/) [Immanuel Wallerstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-wallerstein/) > [The concept that one ought to restrict one's political involvement to one's own state was deeply antithetical to those who were pursuing the accumulation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-wallerstein/the-concept-that-one-ought-to-restrict-one-s-political-involvement-to/) [Immanuel Wallerstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-wallerstein/) > [One by one, these governments came undone, and were forced into IMF tutelage (and national illegitimacy) by the careening oil prices, the debt imbroglio,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-wallerstein/one-by-one-these-governments-came-undone-and-were-forced-into-imf/) [Immanuel Wallerstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-wallerstein/) > [The language of intrinsic human rights represented a significant advance beyond the previous language of world religions in terms of its universal applicability and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-wallerstein/the-language-of-intrinsic-human-rights-represented-a-significant/) [Immanuel Wallerstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-wallerstein/) > [Wars between states and people seem to have existed under all historical systems for as long as we have some recorded evidence. 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