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47 Quotes By Mikhail Bakunin, The Founder Of Collective Anarchism

Famous As: Philosopher
Born On: May 30, 1814
Died On: July 1, 1876
Born In: Russia
Died At Age: 62
Mikhail Bakunin was a Russian anarchist and revolutionary, who lived in the 19th century, is often regarded as one of the most important radical ideologues of his time. Bakunin is credited for being one of the most important figures in the history of social anarchism. He has been the founder of collective anarchism, and became an extremely popular figure among the European radicals. Bakunin’s work as a radical took him to Germany as well as France, where he got in touch with Karl Marx. Bakunin has also been a huge influence on latter day anarchists and Noam Chomsky counts him as one of his influencers. As is the case with any revolutionary, he was an excellent writer and speaker, who could put his point across effectively. Bakunin spoke on a variety of subjects during his lifetime and some of his most important thoughts include his opposition to theologies’, criticism of Marxist theories, federalism, materialism, liberty, free thought and collectivist anarchism. He put down his thoughts and views in books and some of the noted ones include ‘Statism and Anarchy’ and ‘God and the State’ among others. Bakunin was a giant among thinkers; here is a collection of some of his quotes from his books, writings, sppeches, works and life.
If God really existed, it would be necessary to abolish Him.

If God really existed, it would be necessary to abolish Him.

Mikhail Bakunin
The urge for destruction is also a creative urge!

The urge for destruction is also a creative urge!

Mikhail Bakunin
If you took the most ardent revolutionary, vested him in absolute power, within a year he would be worse than the Tsar himself.

If you took the most ardent revolutionary, vested him in absolute power, within a year he would be worse than the Tsar himself.

Mikhail Bakunin
I am truly free only when all human beings, men and women, are equally free. The freedom of other men, far from negating or limiting my freedom, is, on the contrary, its necessary premise and confirmation.

I am truly free only when all human beings, men and women, are equally free. The freedom of other men, far from negating or limiting my freedom, is, on the contrary, its necessary premise and confirmation.

Mikhail Bakunin
The freedom of all is essential to my freedom.

The freedom of all is essential to my freedom.

Mikhail Bakunin

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
From the naturalistic point of view, all men are equal. There are only two exceptions to this rule of naturalistic equality: geniuses and idiots.

From the naturalistic point of view, all men are equal. There are only two exceptions to this rule of naturalistic equality: geniuses and idiots.

Mikhail Bakunin
Political Freedom without economic equality is a pretense, a fraud, a lie; and the workers want no lying.

Political Freedom without economic equality is a pretense, a fraud, a lie; and the workers want no lying.

Mikhail Bakunin
When the people are being beaten with a stick, they are not much happier if it is called the People's Stick.

When the people are being beaten with a stick, they are not much happier if it is called the People's Stick.

Mikhail Bakunin

The liberty of man consists solely in this, that he obeys the laws of nature because he has himself recognized them as such, and not because they have been imposed upon him externally by any foreign will whatsoever, human or divine, collective or individual.

Mikhail Bakunin
To revolt is a natural tendency of life. Even a worm turns against the foot that crushes it. In general, the vitality and relative dignity of an animal can be measured by the intensity of its instinct to revolt.

To revolt is a natural tendency of life. Even a worm turns against the foot that crushes it. In general, the vitality and relative dignity of an animal can be measured by the intensity of its instinct to revolt.

Mikhail Bakunin
Idealism is the despot of thought, just as politics is the despot of will.

Idealism is the despot of thought, just as politics is the despot of will.

Mikhail Bakunin
The communism of Marx seeks a strong state centralization, and where this exists, there the parasitic Jewish nation - which speculates upon the labor of people - will always find the means for its existence.

The communism of Marx seeks a strong state centralization, and where this exists, there the parasitic Jewish nation - which speculates upon the labor of people - will always find the means for its existence.

Mikhail Bakunin
The first revolt is against the supreme tyranny of theology, of the phantom of God. As long as we have a master in heaven, we will be slaves on earth.

The first revolt is against the supreme tyranny of theology, of the phantom of God. As long as we have a master in heaven, we will be slaves on earth.

Mikhail Bakunin
I listen to them freely and with all the respect merited by their intelligence, their character, their knowledge, reserving always my incontestable right of criticism and censure.

I listen to them freely and with all the respect merited by their intelligence, their character, their knowledge, reserving always my incontestable right of criticism and censure.

Mikhail Bakunin
Does it follow that I reject all authority? Perish the thought. In the matter of boots, I defer to the authority of the boot-maker.

Does it follow that I reject all authority? Perish the thought. In the matter of boots, I defer to the authority of the boot-maker.

Mikhail Bakunin
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.

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
We are convinced that liberty without socialism is privilege, injustice; and that socialism without liberty is slavery and brutality.

We are convinced that liberty without socialism is privilege, injustice; and that socialism without liberty is slavery and brutality.

Mikhail Bakunin
He who desires to worship God must harbor no childish illusions about the matter but bravely renounce his liberty and humanity.

He who desires to worship God must harbor no childish illusions about the matter but bravely renounce his liberty and humanity.

Mikhail Bakunin
The idea of God implies the abdication of human reason and justice; it is the most decisive negation of human liberty and necessarily ends in the enslavement of mankind both in theory and practice.

The idea of God implies the abdication of human reason and justice; it is the most decisive negation of human liberty and necessarily ends in the enslavement of mankind both in theory and practice.

Mikhail Bakunin
Freedom, morality, and the human dignity of the individual consists precisely in this; that he does good not because he is forced to do so, but because he freely conceives it, wants it, and loves it.

Freedom, morality, and the human dignity of the individual consists precisely in this; that he does good not because he is forced to do so, but because he freely conceives it, wants it, and loves it.

Mikhail Bakunin
Where the state begins, individual liberty ceases, and vice versa.

Where the state begins, individual liberty ceases, and vice versa.

Mikhail Bakunin
People go to church for the same reasons they go to a tavern: to stupefy themselves, to forget their misery, to imagine themselves, for a few minutes anyway, free and happy.

People go to church for the same reasons they go to a tavern: to stupefy themselves, to forget their misery, to imagine themselves, for a few minutes anyway, free and happy.

Mikhail Bakunin
I reverse the phrase of Voltaire, and say that if God really existed, it would be necessary to abolish him.

I reverse the phrase of Voltaire, and say that if God really existed, it would be necessary to abolish him.

Mikhail Bakunin

The privilege of ruling would be in the hands of the skilled and the learned, with a wide scope left for profitable crooked deals carried on by the Jews, who would be attracted by the enormous extension of the international speculations of the national banks.

Mikhail Bakunin
If there is a State, then there is domination, and in turn, there is slavery.

If there is a State, then there is domination, and in turn, there is slavery.

Mikhail Bakunin
Everything will pass, and the world will perish but the Ninth Symphony will remain.

Everything will pass, and the world will perish but the Ninth Symphony will remain.

Mikhail Bakunin
By striving to do the impossible, man has always achieved what is possible. Those who have cautiously done no more than they believed possible have never taken a single step forward.

By striving to do the impossible, man has always achieved what is possible. Those who have cautiously done no more than they believed possible have never taken a single step forward.

Mikhail Bakunin
Real humanity presents a mixture of all that is most sublime and beautiful with all that is vilest and most monstrous in the world.

Real humanity presents a mixture of all that is most sublime and beautiful with all that is vilest and most monstrous in the world.

Mikhail Bakunin
Even the most wretched individual of our present society could not exist and develop without the cumulative social efforts of countless generations.

Even the most wretched individual of our present society could not exist and develop without the cumulative social efforts of countless generations.

Mikhail Bakunin