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Quote by Zygmunt Bauman

“We are always confronted with choice.”

Quote by Zygmunt Bauman

Author

Zygmunt Bauman (1925-2017) was a Polish-British sociologist and philosopher, widely regarded as one of the most influential social thinkers of the 20th century. He taught sociology at the University of Leeds and was known for his concept of "liquid modernity," which describes the shift from solid, stable social structures to fluid, uncertain conditions. His major works include "Modernity and the Holocaust," "Liquid Modernity," and "Liquid Love." Bauman's analysis of consumer capitalism, social inequality, and the relationship between modernity and genocide has profoundly shaped contemporary sociological thought. more

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“What is happening now is that the number of people who are not strong enough or do not feel strong enough to decide to live without the security provided by the community or the state, is going up.”

People Feels States Enough Strong Community Numbers Security Happenings Strong Enough Not Strong Not Strong Enough

Author:Zygmunt Bauman

“Middle class people, the bourgeoisie, they are also feeling frightened at the moment. Some fear losing their fortunes; some go bankrupt; some are thinking about suicide. They don't know if they will retain the beautiful house that they bought, or what will happen to the five family cars.”

People Ifs Thinking Knows Moments Feelings Happens Beautiful House Class Five Middle Car Losing Suicide Fortune Middle Class Frightened Bourgeoisie

Author:Zygmunt Bauman

“The problem of insufficient security was, until quite recently, a matter of a minority; now it is becoming very quickly a majority matter. That is a major change.”

Matter Problem Security Becoming Majors Majority Minorities Insufficient Major Change

Author:Zygmunt Bauman

“We already have plenty of fundamentalism and fundamental sects like for instance Rabbi Schneerson and Chabad Lubavitch. They feel more secure because they are in the warm, caring/sharing community. This is the difference between community (Gemeinschaft) and what Ferdinand Tönnies called Gesellschaft: a kind of setting in which you have no rights to do anything unless you pay for it, and no right to get anything unless you prove that you are 'credit worthy'. In a Gemeinschaft, however, you have a place at the table guaranteed whatever happens.”

Feels Kind Happens Community Differences Pay Rights Prove Tables Fundamentals Caring Worthy Credit Warm Setting Settings Instance Secure Plenty Fundamentalism Sects Whatever Happens Rabbi

Author:Zygmunt Bauman

“Community is like a big family.”

Bigs Community Big Families

Author:Zygmunt Bauman

“There were no "unemployed" in the impoverished Polish countryside before the Second World War. Not a single unemployed. Every child that was born in the peasant family had his room at the table and his job in the field, stable or pigsty... If there was not enough food, everybody got less. If food was plentiful, everybody ate better. In such a setting, we may say, the problem of security couldn't even arise... One was born with life-long rights; the only thing that one could not do was to change them. A setting good on the side of security, though bad on the side of freedom.”

“It is so true that in liquid modernity freedom was, so to speak, let off the leash, and for a quite a number of years the freedom of choice was "in principle" unlimited. One result was the weakening of inter-human bonds, particularly inherited bonds, and the counterfactual assumption that individuals must and can fend for themselves.”

Years Humans Choices Individual Speak Results Numbers Principles Assumption Unlimited Modernity Liquid Freedom Of Choice Weakening Leashes

Author:Zygmunt Bauman

“France and Italy have not yet signed this treaty or agreed to naval limitation as between those nations, but I have confidence that in time they will do so.”

Nations France Limitation Navy Treaties Have Confidence Naval

Author:Frank B. Kellogg

“"Community" came to be seen as a chat-group: you switch on as long as your pleasure lasts, then push another button and switch off. Very easy to go in and out, join and leave.”

Long Lasts Easy Community Pleasure Groups Buttons

Author:Zygmunt Bauman

“Throughout early modernity there were very strong pressures on Jews to assimilate. Assimilating meant cutting your ties with the community of origin.”

Strong Community Cutting Pressure Jew Ties Very Strong Modernity

Author:Zygmunt Bauman