“This breakdown of social order — rules of dress, sexual controls, speech patterns, family structures — has been seen as a great victory for the individual. On the other hand, it may simply be a reflection of the individual's frustration at being locked up inside a specialization. These acts of personal freedom are irrelevant to the exercise of power. So in lieu of taking a real part in the evolution of society, the individual struggles to appear as if no one has power over his personal evolution. Thus victories won for these individual liberties may actually be an acceptance of defeat by the individual.”

Voltaire's Bastards (1992)

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "This breakdown of social order — rules of dress, sexual controls, speech patterns, family structures — has been seen as…" by John Ralston Saul?
John Ralston Saul photo
John Ralston Saul 85
Canadian author and essayist 1947

Related quotes

Chuck Klosterman photo
Elton Mayo photo

“What social and industrial research has not sufficiently realised as yet is that… minor irrationalities of the “average normal” person are cumulative in their effect. They may not cause “breakdown” in the individual but they do cause “breakdown” in the industry.”

Elton Mayo (1880–1949) Australian academic

Elton Mayo, “Irrationalty and Revery”, Journal of Personnel Research, March 1933, p.482; Cited in: Ionescu, G.G., & A.L. Negrusa. "Elton Mayo, an Enthusiastical Managerial Philosopher." Revista de Management Comparat International 14.5 (2013): 671.

A. James Gregor photo
Boris Sidis photo

“The general tendency of evolution is from structure to function, from bondage to freedom of the individual elements.”

Boris Sidis (1867–1923) American psychiatrist

Source: Multiple Personality: an Experimental Investigation into Human Individuality (1904), p. 26

Friedrich Nietzsche photo
Peter L. Berger photo
Frank Zappa photo
Zaman Ali photo

“Struggle of power is natural in human because with power their individuality prevails over others.”

Zaman Ali (1993) Pakistani philosopher

"Humanity", Ch.IV, "Rule: Power and Order" Part I

Related topics