Zygmunt Bauman

rationality rule weapon

“The rationality of the ruled is always the weapon of the rulers.”

― Zygmunt Bauman (1925-2017)

questioning unquestionable premise life human

“Questioning the ostensibly unquestionable premises of our way of life is arguably the most urgent of services we owe our fellow humans and ourselves.”

― Zygmunt Bauman (1925-2017)

dialogue people believe

“Real dialogue isn’t about talking to people who believe the same things as you.”

― Zygmunt Bauman (1925-2017)

free one two

“For one to be free there must be at least two.”

― Zygmunt Bauman (1925-2017)

truth free man prefer hear

“The truth that makes men free is for the most part the truth which men prefer not to hear.”

― Zygmunt Bauman (1925-2017)

civility interact stranger respect

“The main point about civility is...the ability to interact with strangers without holding their strangeness against them and without pressing them to surrender it or to renounce some or all the traits that have made them strangers in the first place.”

― Zygmunt Bauman (1925-2017)

democracy freedom country human dignity corrupt

“No longer can democracy and freedom be fully and truly secure in one country, or even in a group of countries; their defence in a world saturated with injustice and inhabited by billions of humans denied human dignity will inevitably corrupt the very values they are meant to defend.”

― Zygmunt Bauman (1925-2017)

consumerist lubricate economy sand morality

“A consumerist attitude may lubricate the wheels of the economy; it sprinkles sand into the bearings of morality.”

― Zygmunt Bauman (1925-2017)

globalization failed hope happiness meaninglessness

“globalization is the last failed hope that, somewhere, there still exists a land where one can escape and find happiness. Or the last failed hope that, somewhere, there still exists a land different from yours in terms of being able to oppose the sense of meaninglessness, the loss of criteria and, ultimately, moral blindness and the loss of sensitivity.”

― Zygmunt Bauman (1925-2017)

crisis positive creative optimistic change rebirth

“As can be seen, ‘crisis’, in its proper sense, expresses something positive, creative and optimistic, because it involves a change, and may be a rebirth after a break-up. It indicates separation, certainly, but also choice, decisions and therefore the opportunity to express an opinion.”

― Zygmunt Bauman (1925-2017)