Society can only be improved by means of people’s moral self-perfection.
If the state achieves its aim, then it will establish the same condition as would be achieved if everyone had a just frame of mind. But the inner essence and origin of these two states—a semblance of justice and complete justice—are directly contrary to one another. That is: in the latter case, the condition would be such that no one would want to commit injustice, whereas in the former case no one would tolerate injustice, and the chosen means would perfectly answer this aim. Thus, it is possible to reach an external aim by two contrary means. Thus, a beast of prey in a muzzle is just as harmless as a herbivore. As the state cannot go beyond this boundary, it cannot unfold before us the picture that would emerge from mutual goodwill and love among all.
— Schopenhauer
Near the window by which I write a great bull is tethered by a ring in his nose. Grazing round and round, he has wound his rope about the stake until now he stands a close prisoner, tantalised by rich grass he cannot reach, unable even to toss his head to rid him of the flies that cluster on his shoulders. Now and again he struggles vainly, and then, after pitiful bellowings, relapses into silent misery.
This bull, a very type of massive strength, who, because he has not wit enough to see how he might be free, suffers want in sight of plenty, and is helplessly preyed upon by weaker creatures, seems to me no unfit emblem of the working masses.
In all lands, men whose toil creates abounding wealth are pinched with poverty, and, while advancing civilisation opens wider vistas and awakens new desires, are held down to brutish levels by animal needs. Bitterly conscious of injustice, feeling in their inmost souls that they were made for more than so narrow a life, they, too, spasmodically struggle and cry out. But until they trace effect to cause, until they see how they are fettered and how they may be freed, their struggles and outcries are as vain as those of the bull. Nay, they are vainer. I shall go out and drive the bull in a way that will untwist his rope. But who shall drive men to freedom? Till they use the reason with which they have been gifted, nothing can avail.
Under all forms of government the ultimate power lies with the masses. It is not kings nor aristocracies, nor land-owners nor capitalists, that anywhere near enslave the people—it is their own ignorance.
— Henry George
Not only is it impossible to fight the bad organization of society with violence, it is impossible to do so even with good organization.
Why not organize labor?
We could do this. But we must not forget that, by organizing labor, what we get is not the welfare of humanity, but only the success and productivity of labor itself.
The welfare of humanity can only be attained by an independent moral-religious way.
For what is sad and outrageous is not just the existence of a bad social order, but that people have created it, tolerate it and even use it for their own selfish aims.
And whatever outrages us most is what we should begin combatting first.
— Fyodor Strakhov
We live in the age of discipline, culture and civilization, but we are still far away from the age of morality. Looking at the current condition of the people we can say that the happiness of states grows in step with the unhappiness of the people. This raises the question: would we not be happier in a primeval condition, when this culture of ours did not exist, instead of our current condition?
For how can people be made happy when they are not being made moral and wise?
— Kant
There is only one means of combatting the general evil of life: the moral improvement of your own life.
