Socialism has never and nowhere been at first a working-class movement. It is by no means an obvious remedy for the obvious evil which the interests of that class will necessarily demand. It is a construction of theorists, deriving from certain tendencies of abstract thought with which for a long time only the intellectuals were familiar; and it required long efforts by the intellectuals before the working classes could be persuaded to adopt it as their program.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Socialism was created by intellectuals and pushed onto the working class, not born from their immediate interests.
- In plain terms
- Socialism was made by thinkers and given to workers.
- What can you take from it?
- Recognize that ideologies often come from theorists, not the masses.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Who benefits from a movement?
- Where do ideas really come from?
Another view
Workers may indeed have legitimate grievances that lead to socialism.
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