--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The necessity of starting life afresh on…" description: "\"“The necessity of starting life afresh on new foundations. That these foundations must be of social justice, of rational organization, of respect for t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fec/victor-serge-26900_freedom_the-necessity-of-starting-life-afresh-on_2984825.jpg" --- # The necessity of starting life afresh on new foundations… ![“The necessity of starting life afresh on new foundations. That these foundations must be of social justice, of rational organization, of respect for the individual, of liberty, is for me an obvious fact which, little by little, is asserting itself out of the very inhumanity of the present time…” quote by Victor Serge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fec/victor-serge-26900_freedom_the-necessity-of-starting-life-afresh-on_2984825.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fec/victor-serge-26900_freedom_the-necessity-of-starting-life-afresh-on_2984825.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fec/victor-serge-26900_freedom_the-necessity-of-starting-life-afresh-on_2984825.jpg) > ““The necessity of starting life afresh on new foundations. That these foundations must be of social justice, of rational organization, of respect for the individual, of liberty, is for me an obvious fact which, little by little, is asserting itself out of the very inhumanity of the present time. The future seems to me, despite the clouds on the horizon, to be full of possibilities vaster than any we have glimpsed in the past. The passion, the experience, and even the errors of my fighting generation may perhaps help illumine the way forward, but on one condition, which has become an absolute imperative: never give up the defense of man against systems whose plans crush the individual.”” [Victor Serge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-serge/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A new society must be built on justice, rational organization, individual liberty, and resistance to oppressive systems that crush humanity. **In simple terms:** Build a just, rational, and free society. Key Takeaway Fight for justice and individual dignity. Themes social justice political philosophy individual liberty reform hope Mood hopeful determined reflective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - activism - policy reform - education initiatives - community building - grassroots movements Key Concepts rational organization human dignity systemic oppression future possibilities Questions to Reflect On - What concrete steps can create a just foundation? - How to balance individual liberty with collective needs? A Different Perspective Idealism can overlook practical constraints and unintended consequences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Future Despite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/future-despite-4660102/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Little by little](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little-by-little/) [Necessity Starting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/necessity-starting-4660101/) [New Foundations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-foundations-3720144/) [Present time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/present-time/) [Social justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-justice/) [Starting Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/starting-life-1657720/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Way forward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way-forward/) ## Related quotes > [“The typical American, after he has lost the foundations of his existence, works for new foundations.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/the-typical-american-after-he-has-lost-the-foundations-of-his/) [Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tillich/) > [In a strange way, becoming a grandfather is like starting your life over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wallace/in-a-strange-way-becoming-a-grandfather-is-like-starting-your-life/) [Kenny Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wallace/) > [“The erotic pleasure was starting to take on a life of its own for all three”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bat-maxwell/the-erotic-pleasure-was-starting-to-take-on-a-life-of-its-own-for-all/) [Bat Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bat-maxwell/) > [Breath is perhaps the first thing we have in life. 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Back to it all, to all that was warped and desultory, to the lies and evasions and small, hidden irons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cora-sandel/alberta-was-back-again-back-to-it-all-to-all-that-was-warped-and/) [Cora Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cora-sandel/) > [Sin bins are the way forward if we want to turn the tide on discipline in football.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robbie-savage/sin-bins-are-the-way-forward-if-we-want-to-turn-the-tide-on/) [Robbie Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robbie-savage/) > [Time stops for no one. The Sun 'sets' in one place and 'rises' in another. Th clock moves only one way: forward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/time-stops-for-no-one-the-sun-sets-in-one-place-and-rises-in-another/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm a fan of supersymmetry, largely because it seems to be the only route by which gravity can be brought into the scheme. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-higgs/i-m-a-fan-of-supersymmetry-largely-because-it-seems-to-be-the-only/) [Peter Higgs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-higgs/) > [When you hang the 'bipartisan' tag on something, the perception is that differences have been worked out, and there's a broad agreement that that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-mcconnell/when-you-hang-the-bipartisan-tag-on-something-the-perception-is-that/) [Mitch McConnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-mcconnell/) ## More by Victor Serge > [“He aquí la muerte, fin de un universo.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-serge/he-aqu-la-muerte-fin-de-un-universo/) [Victor Serge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-serge/) > [“What will become of us in twenty years’ time?” we asked ourselves one evening. Thirty years have passed now. Raymond was guillotined: “Anarchist gangster”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-serge/what-will-become-of-us-in-twenty-years-time-we-asked-ourselves-one/) [Victor Serge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-serge/) > [“He who does not cry out the truth when he knows the truth becomes the accomplice of the liars and falsifiers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-serge/he-who-does-not-cry-out-the-truth-when-he-knows-the-truth-becomes-the/) [Victor Serge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-serge/) > [“But he did not think…thoughts formed in him and dissolved without control, almost like a reverie. And since he had got through life in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-serge/but-he-did-not-think-thoughts-formed-in-him-and-dissolved-without/) [Victor Serge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-serge/) > [...and it is a serious matter to destroy a man's faith without replacing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-serge/and-it-is-a-serious-matter-to-destroy-a-man-s-faith-without-replacing/) [Victor Serge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-serge/) > [Early on, I learnt from the Russian intelligentsia that the only meaning of life lies in conscious participation in the making of history. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-serge/early-on-i-learnt-from-the-russian-intelligentsia-that-the-only/) [Victor Serge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-serge/) > [He who speaks, he who writes is above all one who speaks on behalf of all those who have no voice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-serge/he-who-speaks-he-who-writes-is-above-all-one-who-speaks-on-behalf-of/) [Victor Serge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-serge/) > [What is terrible when you seek the truth, is that you find it. You find it, and then you are no longer free to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-serge/what-is-terrible-when-you-seek-the-truth-is-that-you-find-it-you-find/) [Victor Serge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-serge/) > [ “\[Seeing clearly\] is not so difficult to achieve, and yet it is rather unusual. To my mind, it is less a question of an… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-serge/seeing-clearly-is-not-so-difficult-to-achieve-and-yet-it-is-rather/) [Victor Serge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-serge/) > [“It has been observed that I show hardly any interest in talking about myself. It is hard for me to disentangle my own person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-serge/it-has-been-observed-that-i-show-hardly-any-interest-in-talking-about/) [Victor Serge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-serge/) > [What with the political monopoly, the Cheka and the Red Army, all that now existed of the 'Commune-State' of our dreams was a theoretical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-serge/what-with-the-political-monopoly-the-cheka-and-the-red-army-all-that/) [Victor Serge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-serge/) > [I followed his argument with the blank uneasiness which one might feel in the presence of a logical lunatic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-serge/i-followed-his-argument-with-the-blank-uneasiness-which-one-might/) [Victor Serge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-serge/) > [I believe that the formation of the Chekas was one of the gravest and most impermissible errors that the Bolshevik leaders committed in 1918…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-serge/i-believe-that-the-formation-of-the-chekas-was-one-of-the-gravest-and/) [Victor Serge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-serge/) > [“A French essayist has said: 'What is terrible when you seek the truth, is that you find it.' You find it, and then you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-serge/a-french-essayist-has-said-what-is-terrible-when-you-seek-the-truth/) [Victor Serge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-serge/) > [“We have conquered everything, and everything has slipped out of our grasp.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-serge/we-have-conquered-everything-and-everything-has-slipped-out-of-our/) [Victor Serge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-serge/) [Explore all 21 Victor Serge quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-serge/) ## More Freedom quotes > [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. 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If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/elections-belong-to-the-people-it-s-their-decision-if-they-decide-to/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [If we gave up our freedom as the price of security, we would no longer be the great nation that we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/if-we-gave-up-our-freedom-as-the-price-of-security-we-would-no-longer/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) > [We live in the greatest country in the world because of the veterans who have sacrificed their lives for our freedom and the security…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-husted/we-live-in-the-greatest-country-in-the-world-because-of-the-veterans/) [Jon Husted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-husted/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [“No one was more surprised than I to realize that my newfound freedom had been purchased by giving up on eternity and settling for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-jessop/no-one-was-more-surprised-than-i-to-realize-that-my-newfound-freedom/) [Carolyn Jessop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-jessop/) > [“In a world of fixed future, there can be no right or wrong. Right and wrong demand freedom of choice, but if each action…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lightman/in-a-world-of-fixed-future-there-can-be-no-right-or-wrong-right-and/) [Alan Lightman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lightman/) > [“In any case, white people, who had robbed black people of their liberty and who profited by this theft every hour that they lived,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-baldwin/in-any-case-white-people-who-had-robbed-black-people-of-their-liberty/) [James Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-baldwin/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“I have to blame myself for not finding any way of reaching him, but I can't feel that either Ruth or I had anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/i-have-to-blame-myself-for-not-finding-any-way-of-reaching-him-but-i/) [Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/) > [“It breaks my heart. Better than your words, your eye tells me all your peril. You are not yet free, you still search for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/it-breaks-my-heart-better-than-your-words-your-eye-tells-me-all-your/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [History has often showed us the strength of the forces that are unleashed by the yearning for freedom. It moved people to overcome their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-merkel/history-has-often-showed-us-the-strength-of-the-forces-that-are/) [Angela Merkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-merkel/) > [I don't want to be famous famous. I'm happy on the second tier, where I have autonomy on a professional level but I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-reece/i-don-t-want-to-be-famous-famous-i-m-happy-on-the-second-tier-where-i/) [Gabrielle Reece](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-reece/) [Browse all 30,110 Freedom quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The necessity of starting life afresh on new foundations. That these foundations must be of social justice, of rational organization, of respect for the individual, of liberty, is for me an obvious fact which, little by little, is asserting itself out of the very inhumanity of the present time. The future seems to me, despite the clouds on the horizon, to be full of possibilities vaster than any we have glimpsed in the past. 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