Peter Kropotkin

prison university crime state

“Prisons are universities of crime, maintained by the state.”

― Peter Kropotkin (1842-1921)

do nothing mistake

“It is only those who do nothing who makes no mistake.”

― Peter Kropotkin (1842-1921)

variety life uniformity death

“variety is life; uniformity is death”

― Peter Kropotkin (1842-1921)

Lenin revolutionary history ideals

“Lenin is not comparable to any revolutionary figure in history. Revolutionaries have had ideals. Lenin has none.”

― Peter Kropotkin (1842-1921)

competition injury species resources

“Don’t compete! — competition is always injurious to the species, and you have plenty of resources to avoid it!”

― Peter Kropotkin (1842-1921)

solidarity advantageous species individual predatory

“in the long run the practice of solidarity proves much more advantageous to the species than the development of individuals endowed with predatory inclinations.”

― Peter Kropotkin (1842-1921)

history civilization roman popular imperial authoritarian

“Throughout the history of our civilisation, two traditions, two opposed tendencies, have been in conflict: the Roman tradition and the popular tradition, the imperial tradition and the federalist tradition, the authoritarian tradition and the libertarian tradition.”

― Peter Kropotkin (1842-1921)

futile liberty economic slavery

“In fact, we know full well today that it is futile to speak of liberty as long as economic slavery exists.”

― Peter Kropotkin (1842-1921)

good evil religion natural animal useful society goodhurtful bad

“The idea of good and evil has thus nothing to do with religion or a mystic conscience. It is a natural need of animal races. And when founders of religions, philosophers, and moralists tell us of divine or metaphysical entities, they are only recasting what each ant, each sparrow practices in its little society. Is this useful to society? Then it is good. Is this hurtful? Then it is bad.”

― Peter Kropotkin (1842-1921)

ignorance society disorder mind laws multiplied

“When ignorance reigns in society and disorder in the minds of men, laws are multiplied”

― Peter Kropotkin (1842-1921)

shoddy pay work

“Shoddy pay—shoddy work!”

― Peter Kropotkin (1842-1921)

achievement science indestructibility energy transformation

“One of the greatest achievements of modern science was, that it proved the indestructibility of energy through all the ceaseless transformations which it undergoes in the universe.”

― Peter Kropotkin (1842-1921)

letters science human development bondage love

“Letters and science will only take their proper place in the work of human development when, freed from all mercenary bondage, they will be exclusively cultivated by those who love them, and for those who love them.”

― Peter Kropotkin (1842-1921)

equality solidarity struggle existence equity

“Equality in mutual relations with the solidarity arising from it, this is the most powerful weapon of the animal world in the struggle for existence. And equality is equity.”

― Peter Kropotkin (1842-1921)

capital poor exploited

“But capital goes wherever there are men, poor enough to be exploited.”

― Peter Kropotkin (1842-1921)

competition law jungle cooperation civilization

"Competition is the law of the jungle, but cooperation is the law of civilization"

― Peter Kropotkin (1842-1921)

law claim human respect civilizing protect exploitation

"The law has no claim to human respect. It has no civilizing mission; its only purpose is to protect exploitation."

― Peter Kropotkin (1842-1921)

wealth poverty

"Everywhere you will find that the wealth of the wealthy springs from the poverty of the poor."

― Peter Kropotkin (1842-1921)

hopeless revolt revolution act hope

"The hopeless don't revolt, because revolution is an act of hope."

― Peter Kropotkin (1842-1921)

authority freedom

"Where there is authority, there is no freedom."

― Peter Kropotkin (1842-1921)

progress decentralize territoryl function initiative hierarchy

"True progress lies in the direction of decentralization, both territorial and functional, in the development of the spirit of local and personal initiative, and of free federation from the simple to the compound, in lieu of the present hierarchy from the centre to the periphery."

― Peter Kropotkin (1842-1921)

poverty poor cause riches

"Poverty, the existence of the poor, was the first cause of riches."

― Peter Kropotkin (1842-1921)

revolutions minority

"Revolutions, we must remember, are always made by minorities"

― Peter Kropotkin (1842-1921)

law remedy evil altering bad demand

"In existing States a fresh law is looked upon as a remedy for evil. Instead of themselves altering what is bad, people begin by demanding a law to alter it."

― Peter Kropotkin (1842-1921)

nation people cooking eating traditions word action official

"If you want to know the people of a nation, I am sure you can judge a great deal more about them from their cooking and eating traditions than you can from the words and actions of their public officials."

― Peter Kropotkin (1842-1921)

evolution revolution period change

"No evolution is accomplished in nature without revolution. Periods of very slow changes are succeeded by periods of violent changes. Revolutions are as necessary for evolution as the slow changes which prepare them and succeed them."

― Peter Kropotkin (1842-1921)

moral sense natural faculty smell touch

"The moral sense is a natural faculty in us like the sense of smell or of touch."

― Peter Kropotkin (1842-1921)

war usual condition Europe thirty years supply

"War is the usual condition of Europe. A thirty years' supply of causes of war is always on hand."

― Peter Kropotkin (1842-1921)