Theology created the fiction of Satan which represents the revolt if an infinite being against the existence of an absolute infinity, against God. Mikhail Bakunin More Quotes by Mikhail Bakunin More Quotes From Mikhail Bakunin It clearly follows that to make men moral it is necessary to make their social environment moral. And that can be done in only one way; by assuring the triumph of justice, that is, the complete liberty of everyone in the most perfect equality for all. Inequality of conditions and rights, and the resulting lack of liberty for all, is the great collective iniquity begetting all individual iniquities. Mikhail Bakunin rights perfect men Does man's freedom consist in revolting against all laws? We say no, in so far as laws are natural, economic, and social laws, not authoritatively imposed but inherent in things, in relations, in situations, the natural development of which is expressed by those laws. We say YES if they are political and juridical laws, imposed upon men by men. Mikhail Bakunin law names men If God really existed, it would be necessary to abolish Him. Mikhail Bakunin atheism atheist nihilism We are convinced that liberty without socialism is privilege, injustice; and that socialism without liberty is slavery and brutality. Mikhail Bakunin slavery liberty brutality Anarchism is "stateless socialism." Mikhail Bakunin anarchism anarchy socialism Priests, kings, statesmen, soldiers, bankers and public functionaries of all sorts; policemen, jailers and hangmen; capitalists, usurers, businessmen and property-owners; lawyers, economists and politicians - all of them, down to the meanest grocer, repeat in chorus the words of Voltaire, that if there were no God it would be necessary to invent Him. Mikhail Bakunin atheism soldier kings We wish, in a word, equality - equality in fact as a corollary, or rather, as primordial condition of liberty. From each according to his faculties, to each according to his needs; that is what we wish sincerely and energetically. Mikhail Bakunin liberty wish needs If there is a State, then there is domination, and in turn, there is slavery. Mikhail Bakunin domination slavery states We must spread our principles, not with words but with deeds, for this is the most popular, the most potent, and the most irresistible form of propaganda. Mikhail Bakunin propaganda deeds principles A jealous lover of human liberty, deeming it the absolute condition of all that we admire and respect in humanity, I reverse the phrase of Voltaire, and say that, if God really existed, it would be necessary to abolish him. Mikhail Bakunin jealous humanity god The urge for destruction is also a creative urge! Mikhail Bakunin urges destruction creative The state is a force incarnate. Worse, it is the silly parading of force. It never seeks to prevail by persuasion. Whenever it thrusts its finger into anything it does so in the most unfriendly way. Its essence is command and compulsion. Mikhail Bakunin liberty essence silly ...one exploiting sect, one people of leeches, one single devouring parasite closely and intimately bound together not only across national boundaries, but also across all divergences of political opinion ... [Jews have] that mercantile passion which constitutes one of the principle traits of their national character Mikhail Bakunin passion political-opinions character If there be a human being who is freer than I, then I shall necessarily become his slave. If I am freer than any other, then he will become my slave. Therefore equality is an absolutely necessary condition of freedom. Mikhail Bakunin slave humans justice We must overthrow the material and moral conditions of our present-day life. . . . We must first purify our atmosphere and completely transform the milieu in which we live; for it corrupts our instinct and our will, and constricts our heart and our intelligence Mikhail Bakunin atmosphere nihilism heart This contradiction lies here: they wish God, and they wish humanity. They persist in connecting two terms which, once separated, can come together again only to destroy each other. Mikhail Bakunin together-again two lying Everything that lives, does so under the categorical condition of decisively interfering in the life of someone else. Mikhail Bakunin interfere conditions doe Powerful states can maintain themselves only by crime, little states are virtuous only by weakness. Mikhail Bakunin weakness powerful littles The organization of society is always and everywhere the unique cause of the crimes committed by individuals. Mikhail Bakunin causes unique organization By striving to do the impossible, man has always achieved what is possible. Mikhail Bakunin achieving-the-impossible strive men