Quote of the Day by ‘father of collectivist anarchism’ Mikhail Bakunin: ‘When the people are being beaten with a stick…’ - a blunt lesson about power, freedom, democracy and human dignity

We have most likely encountered the phenomenon at some point ourselves. Someone tells you that a bad situation is actually for your own good. The decision has been taken, and we were hardly consulted, but somehow the discourse surrounding the event makes us believe that there is some good about what happened.

But does giving something a comforting name really change what it does to you?

That unadorned question lies behind one of Mikhail Bakunin’s sharpest observations about political power. Written more than 150 years ago, his words challenge the idea that authority becomes less oppressive because it claims to represent ordinary people.


Quote of the Day by Mikhail Bakunin: “When the people are being beaten with a stick, they are not much happier if it is called the People’s Stick.”

Bakunin, the father of collectivist anarchism, wrote the line in Statism and Anarchy, published in 1873. His argument was rooted in his opposition to concentrated political authority and his belief that changing the language around power does not necessarily change the reality experienced by the people.

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Why Mikhail Bakunin’s quote on political power matters today

It becomes clear why it is crucial when it comes to political movements claiming to act in the name of “the people.” It is rather comforting because the use of the term implies representation, protection and commonality of interests. However, as Bakunin warned, it tells us nothing about the actual distribution of power.

It is extremely relevant when the problem of populism is discussed since movements may claim to act in favor of the common citizen in opposition to far-away elites and the term “the people” may be used in the government apparatus. In such a situation, people whom movements are supposed to represent find themselves facing the power of the state.

What Mikhail Bakunin’s quote means in real life

Consider the essential meaning of the metaphor. If someone hits you with a stick and calls it a “people’s stick,” then your feeling of betan by ot remains exactly the same despite the change of terminology. Bakunin chose this intentionally plain example to highlight the doubt whether political power becomes legitimate simply because it declares itself as acting in the interest of all people.

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This simple logic may be applied beyond political context as well. When one claims that a certain choice is made “for everybody” or “for the people,” one should consider who, in fact, makes the choice, who profits from the choice and whether people, whom one represents, have any real influence on the choice.

Who was Mikhail Bakunin?

Mikhail Bakunin was a Russian revolutionary and one of the most influential thinkers in the history of anarchism. Born in 1814, he was an activist in different revolutionary movements in Europe, where he dedicated his whole life to fighting against monarchical systems of rule, government and political power.

According to Bakunin, a new kind of ruling institution does not mean freedom. He had an especial skepticism towards the concept that a powerful state would give birth to a non-submissive society. In addition to that, his clashes with Karl Marx were a part of an ideological dispute in the 19th century socialism movement.

Mikhail Bakunin’s legacy

The works of Bakunin had great influence on political anarchist philosophy. The main issue was the danger that the very institution created to liberate might become an instrument of domination.

It is for this reason that the remark of Bakunin from 1873 retains its relevancy. While the political language can be updated rapidly, the fundamental question remains unchanged: if power continues to oppress the people, is it any better for that power to be called “the people’s”?