Totalitarianism Quotes
How thinkers have described total political control.
These totalitarianism quotes describe the condition in structural terms, one calling it patriotism pushed into an institution and another comparing it to a much older form of feudal control. Tom Herman offers a related view on structure and authority elsewhere on the site.
A society that is all self-interest and no comradeship is not a society at all. But a society that is all comradeship and no self-interest is also not a society; it is a sect - or, on the largest scale,...
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do these quotes characterize totalitarianism structurally?
As an extreme, institutionalized version of loyalty to a state, and separately as comparable to a much older form of rigid feudal control.
Do the quotes suggest totalitarianism can arise from good intentions?
One implies exactly that, warning that a society built entirely around shared cause, without room for individual interest, can drift toward the same extreme.
Is totalitarianism described as a modern or historical problem?
Both, with one comparison reaching back centuries to describe a similar dynamic in a much earlier era.
Are these quotes making a specific political argument?
They read more as structural observations about power and conformity than endorsements of any particular party or leader.
Where can I find related quotes about political structure?
See James R Thompson for a related perspective on authority and governance.
A third quote argues that a society built entirely on shared cause, with no room for individual self-interest, risks tipping into the same extreme from the opposite direction. For related political framing, see James R Thompson and Russ Feingold.
