
“Knowing whether or not one can live without appeal is all that interests me.”
The Myth of Sisyphus (1942), An Absurd Reasoning
Article (2 March 1924), quoted in W. M. Knight-Patterson, Germany. From Defeat to Conquest 1913-1933 (London: George Allen and Unwin, 1945), p. 318
1920s
“Knowing whether or not one can live without appeal is all that interests me.”
The Myth of Sisyphus (1942), An Absurd Reasoning
The Queen v. Justices of County of London, &c. (1893), L. R. 2 Q. B. 492.
Section 7
The True Believer (1951), Part One: The Appeal of Mass Movements
Context: There is a fundamental difference between the appeal of a mass movement and the appeal of a practical organization. The practical organization offers opportunities for self-advancement, and its appeal is mainly to self-interest. On the other hand, a mass movement, particularly in its active, revivalist phase, appeals not to those intent on bolstering and advancing a cherished self, but to those who crave to be rid of an unwanted self. A mass movement attracts and holds a following not because it can satisfy the desire for self-advancement, but because it can satisfy the passion for self-renunciation.
The Times, 10 January 1945.
Morrison abandoned his safe seat in Hackney South for Lewisham East in the 1945 general election despite it being a Conservative-held seat that had never previously returned a Labour MP. The move paid off, and he was elected there.
“When even the dictators of today appeal to reason, they mean that they possess the most tanks.”
Source: "The End of Reason" (1941), p. 28.
Context: When even the dictators of today appeal to reason, they mean that they possess the most tanks. They were rational enough to build them; others should be rational enough to yield to them.
“After all, the appeal to stop being yourself, even for a little while, is very great.”
Source: The Secret History
2010s, Interview with Yonhap (August 2011)
On the Slain Collegians, st. 1
Battle Pieces: And Aspects of the War (1860)