“Freedom in capitalist society always remains about the same as it was in ancient Greek republics: Freedom for slave owners.”
- April 22, 1870 – January 21, 1924
- Born in the Russian Empire
- Revolutionary, political theorist, lawyer, state leader
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Quote
“Freedom in capitalist society always remains about the same as it was in ancient Greek republics: Freedom for slave owners.”
Explanation
Lenin’s statement draws a provocative comparison between capitalist societies and ancient slave-owning republics, such as Athens. His key point is that freedom under capitalism is not universal, but rather reserved for the economically powerful — the modern equivalents of slave owners. In both ancient Greece and capitalist systems, the ruling class enjoys extensive freedoms, while the majority remain economically or socially constrained. Lenin believed that capitalist democracy was a façade, disguising deep class inequalities under a veneer of legal rights.
This idea must be understood in the historical context of early 20th-century Russia and Lenin’s Marxist worldview. Lenin viewed the bourgeoisie as a dominant class, structurally exploiting workers just as slave owners exploited slaves. The comparison is deliberately stark, meant to shock and underline his argument that true freedom cannot exist where economic subjugation persists. To Lenin, only socialism — and ultimately communism — could offer genuine freedom, by abolishing class distinctions.
In the modern era, this quote continues to resonate in critiques of economic disparity. For instance, critics of neoliberal capitalism argue that political and civil liberties are hollow if basic material needs go unmet. Workers in precarious employment, people in debt, or those without access to education or healthcare might formally have rights, but lack the means to exercise them fully. The quote serves as a reminder that freedom without equity can perpetuate domination, even under democratic systems.
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