Human dignity Quote by Mikhail S. Gorbachev
““We have retreated from the perennial values. I don't think that we need any new values. The most important thing is to try to revive the universally known values from which we have retreated. As a young man, I really took to heart the Communist ideals. A young soul certainly cannot reject things like justice and equality. These were the goals proclaimed by the Communists. But in reality that terrible Communist experiment brought about repression of human dignity. Violence was used in order to impose that model on society. In the name of Communism we abandoned basic human values. So when I came to power in Russia I started to restore those values; values of "openness" and freedom.””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Address to the Supreme Soviet, USSR, 1990
He argues that societies should return to timeless human values like justice, equality, openness, and freedom rather than invent new ones, noting past attempts (e.g., communism) distorted those ideals.
In simple terms: Return to universal human values.
Key Takeaway
Re‑embrace basic human dignity.
Themes
justice
equality
freedom
openness
human dignity
Mood
reflective
hopeful
Type
political
ethical
When to use this quote
- government reform
- education curricula
- civil society initiatives
- media discourse
Key Concepts
political philosophy
ethical renewal
Questions to Reflect On
- How can societies balance universal values with cultural differences?
- What safeguards prevent new ideologies from corrupting core values?
A Different Perspective
Idealistic view may overlook complexities of implementing values in diverse societies.
![“In this confusion we begin to see what lies behind John Paul II's startling warning about democracy "effectively mov[ing] towards a form of totalitarianism." It begins to happen at a practical level when we simultaneously hold that rights which arise from the dignity of the person are also a…” quote by George Cardinal Pell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/309/george-cardinal-pell-50980_democracy_in-this-confusion-we-begin-to-see-what-l_21998.jpg)
