--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Given the pervasiveness of capitalism’s…" description: "\"“Given the pervasiveness of capitalism’s domination, the revolutionary vanguard can come only from those outcast intellectuals—especially among the you..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b31/stephen-r-c-hicks-12692_freedom_given-the-pervasiveness-of-capitalism-s_775059.jpg" --- # Given the pervasiveness of capitalism’s domination, the… ![“Given the pervasiveness of capitalism’s domination, the revolutionary vanguard can come only from those outcast intellectuals—especially among the younger students[282]—those who are able to “link liberation with the dissolution of ordinary and orderly perception”[283] and who thereby can see…” quote by Stephen R.C. Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b31/stephen-r-c-hicks-12692_freedom_given-the-pervasiveness-of-capitalism-s_775059.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b31/stephen-r-c-hicks-12692_freedom_given-the-pervasiveness-of-capitalism-s_775059.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b31/stephen-r-c-hicks-12692_freedom_given-the-pervasiveness-of-capitalism-s_775059.jpg) > ““Given the pervasiveness of capitalism’s domination, the revolutionary vanguard can come only from those outcast intellectuals—especially among the younger students\[282\]—those who are able to “link liberation with the dissolution of ordinary and orderly perception”\[283\] and who thereby can see through the appearance of peace to the reality of oppression, who have retained enough of their humanity not to have been turned into Joe Sixpack—and above all who have the will and the energy to do anything it takes, even to the point of being “militantly intolerant and disobedient,”\[284\] to shock the capitalist power structure into revealing its true nature, thus toppling and smashing the system to pieces, leaving the way open for a renewal of humanity through socialism.”” [Stephen R.C. Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-c-hicks/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage argues that revolutionary change must come from marginalized intellectual youth who can perceive oppression beyond superficial peace. **In simple terms:** It says oppressed students must lead the fight against capitalism. Key Takeaway Empower critical, youthful thinkers. Themes revolution youth activism critical theory Mood urgent defiant Type political philosophical When to use this quote - academic circles - student movements - grassroots organizing Key Concepts capitalism oppression social change Questions to Reflect On - How can revolutionary ideas be communicated without inciting violence? - What safeguards prevent extremism from undermining the cause? 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The soul, so long as it is subject to transmigration, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virchand-gandhi/the-true-nature-of-soul-is-right-knowledge-right-faith-and-right/) [Virchand Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virchand-gandhi/) ## More by Stephen R.C. Hicks > [“Nasty political correctness as a tactic then makes perfect sense. Having rejected reason, we will not expect ourselves or others to behave reasonably. Having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-c-hicks/nasty-political-correctness-as-a-tactic-then-makes-perfect-sense/) [Stephen R.C. Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-c-hicks/) > [“Marxism was and is a class analysis, pitting economic classes against each other in a zero-sum competition. In that competition, the stronger parties would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-c-hicks/marxism-was-and-is-a-class-analysis-pitting-economic-classes-against/) [Stephen R.C. Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-c-hicks/) > [“Deconstruction as an educational strategy   Here is an example. Kate Ellis is a radical gender feminist. Ellis, as she writes in Socialist Review,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-c-hicks/deconstruction-as-an-educational-strategy-here-is-an-example-kate/) [Stephen R.C. Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-c-hicks/) > [“Yet mere membership as a matter of duty is not enough for Hegel, given the grandeur of the state’s divine historical purpose: “One must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-c-hicks/yet-mere-membership-as-a-matter-of-duty-is-not-enough-for-hegel-given/) [Stephen R.C. 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Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-c-hicks/) > [“A variation on this strategy was implicit in a new definition of “poverty” that the Left began to offer in the early 1960s: the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-c-hicks/a-variation-on-this-strategy-was-implicit-in-a-new-definition-of/) [Stephen R.C. Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-c-hicks/) > [“Postmodernism is the first ruthlessly consistent statement of the consequences of rejecting reason, those consequences being necessary given the history of epistemology since Kant.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-c-hicks/postmodernism-is-the-first-ruthlessly-consistent-statement-of-the/) [Stephen R.C. Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-c-hicks/) > [“From the postmodern anti-realist metaphysics and anti-reason epistemology, the postmodern social consequences follow almost directly. 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Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-c-hicks/) > [“Morally and politically, in practice every liberal capitalist country has a solid record for being humane, for by and large respecting rights and freedoms,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-c-hicks/morally-and-politically-in-practice-every-liberal-capitalist-country/) [Stephen R.C. Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-c-hicks/) > [“In our time, the world created by the Enlightenment is strong, active, and exuberant. For a while in the past century, socialists could believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-c-hicks/in-our-time-the-world-created-by-the-enlightenment-is-strong-active/) [Stephen R.C. Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-c-hicks/) > [“Kunst ist Scheisse (Art is shit) was, fittingly, the motto of the Dada movement. Duchamp’s urinal was the fitting symbol. 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Hicks quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-c-hicks/) ## More Capitalist quotes > [The popular mind often pictures gigantic flying machines speeding across the Atlantic carrying innumerable passengers in a way analogous to our modern steam ships.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-henry-pickering/the-popular-mind-often-pictures-gigantic-flying-machines-speeding/) William Henry Pickering > [As the variable capital always stays in the hands of the capitalist in some form or other, it cannot be claimed in any way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/as-the-variable-capital-always-stays-in-the-hands-of-the-capitalist/) [Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/) > [Capitalists have done more good for society through their charitable giving, philanthropy and generosity than all their critics combined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cook/capitalists-have-done-more-good-for-society-through-their-charitable/) [James Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cook/) > [It is more than a little ironic that "capital accumulation" once a rather tendentious Marxian view of a supposed capitalist obsession, should have become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kuttner/it-is-more-than-a-little-ironic-that-capital-accumulation-once-a/) [Robert Kuttner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kuttner/) > [When I was young, I worked for a capitalist twelve hours a day and I was always tired. 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