Communism Quote by Koestler Arthur
““For the movement was without scruples; she rolled towards her goal unconcernedly and deposed the corpses of the drowned in the windings of her course. Her course had many twists and windings; such was the law of her being. And whosoever could not follow her crooked course was washed on to the bank, for such was her law. The motives of the individual did not matter to her. His conscience did not matter to her, neither did she care what went on in his head and his heart. The Party knew only one crime: to swerve from the course laid out; and only one punishment: death. Death was no mystery in the movement; there was nothing exalted about it: it was the logical solution to political divergences””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Darkness at Noon, 1940
A totalitarian system demands absolute conformity, punishing any deviation with death, regardless of personal motives or conscience.
In simple terms: The regime forces blind obedience, killing dissenters.
Key Takeaway
Beware systems that value loyalty over humanity.
Themes
totalitarianism
conformity
political oppression
morality
death
Mood
fearful
grim
critical
Type
political
philosophical
When to use this quote
- government policy
- military obedience
- civil resistance
- ethical decision making
Key Concepts
authoritarianism
political coercion
ethical nihilism
Questions to Reflect On
- What are the signs of a system demanding blind obedience?
- How can individuals resist when dissent is lethal?
A Different Perspective
Such regimes often claim moral righteousness, ignoring individual suffering.
![“[D]oubt, the principle of theoretic freedom, appears to me a crime. … [T]he highest crime is doubt in God, or the doubt that God exists. … [T]hat which I do not trust myself to doubt, … without feeling disturbed in my soul, without incurring guilt; that is no matter of theory, but a matter of…” quote by Ludwig Feuerbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/7f7/ludwig-feuerbach-3406_doubt_d-oubt-the-principle-of-theoretic-freedo_2941304.jpg)
