By any means necessary
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For other uses, see By any means necessary (disambiguation).
By any means necessary is a translation of a phrase coined by French intellectual Jean Paul Sartre in his play Dirty Hands.
| “ | I was not the one to invent lies: they were created in a society divided by class and each of us inherited lies when we were born. It is not by refusing to lie that we will abolish lies: it is by eradicating class by any means necessary. | ” |
It entered the popular culture through a speech given by Malcolm X in the last year of his life.
| “ | We declare our right on this earth to be a human being, to be respected as a human being, to be given the rights of a human being in this society, on this earth, in this day, which we intend to bring into existence by any means necessary. | ” |
“Any means” is generally considered to leave open all available tactics for the desired ends, including violence. However, the “necessary” qualifier adds a caveat—if violence is not necessary, then presumably, it should not be used.
[edit] References
- ^ NUMBER: 48220. The Columbia World of Quotations. Retrieved on 2007-01-28.
- ^ Malcolm X (1992). By Any Means Necessary (Malcolm X Speeches & Writings). New York: Pathfinder Press. ISBN 0873487540.
