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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#41

SocietyEqualityJusticeMoralitySocial justice

About this quote

What does it mean?
Moral individuals require a moral social environment built on justice, liberty, and equality; inequality breeds individual wrongdoing.
In plain terms
To make people good, make the society they live in just and equal.
What can you take from it?
Justice and equality create moral citizens.

Where it applies

  • policy making
  • social reform
  • community building

Putting it to work

  • advocate for equality
  • ensure fair laws
  • build just communities

Questions to consider

  • Does environment determine morality?
  • Is equality necessary for justice?

Another view

Individuals can be moral even in unjust environments.

More from Mikhail Bakunin

  1. Intellectual slavery, of whatever nature it may be, will always have as a natural result both political and social slavery.

    Permalink to quote #40
  2. It is the peculiarity of privilege and of every privileged position to kill the intellect and heart of man. The privileged man, whether he be privileged politi…

    Permalink to quote #42
  3. If you took the most ardent revolutionary, vested him in absolute power, within a year he would be worse than the Czar himself.

    Permalink to quote #39

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