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Orwell On Truth: (Authorized Orwell Edition): A Mariner Books Classic
Over the course of his career, George Orwell wrote about many things, but no matter what he wrote the goal was to get at the fundamental truths of the world. He had no place for dissemblers, liars, conmen, or frauds, and he made his feelings well-known. In Orwell on Truth , excerpts from across Orwell’s career show how his writing and worldview developed over the decades, profoundly shaped by his experiences in the Spanish Civil War, and further by World War II and the rise of totalitarian states. In a world that seems increasingly like one of Orwell’s dystopias, a willingness to speak truth to power is more important than ever. With Orwell on Truth , readers get a collection of both powerful quotes and the context for them.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2017
137 people are currently reading
3196 people want to read
About the author
George Orwell
1,257 books50.5k followersEric Arthur Blair was an English novelist, poet, essayist, journalist and critic who wrote under the pen name of George Orwell. His work is characterised by lucid prose, social criticism, opposition to all totalitarianism (both fascism and stalinism), and support of democratic socialism.
Orwell is best known for his allegorical novella Animal Farm (1945) and the dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949), although his works also encompass literary criticism, poetry, fiction and polemical journalism. His non-fiction works, including The Road to Wigan Pier (1937), documenting his experience of working-class life in the industrial north of England, and Homage to Catalonia (1938), an account of his experiences soldiering for the Republican faction of the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939), are as critically respected as his essays on politics, literature, language and culture.
Orwell's work remains influential in popular culture and in political culture, and the adjective "Orwellian"—describing totalitarian and authoritarian social practices—is part of the English language, like many of his neologisms, such as "Big Brother", "Thought Police", "Room 101", "Newspeak", "memory hole", "doublethink", and "thoughtcrime". In 2008, The Times named Orwell the second-greatest British writer since 1945.
Orwell is best known for his allegorical novella Animal Farm (1945) and the dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949), although his works also encompass literary criticism, poetry, fiction and polemical journalism. His non-fiction works, including The Road to Wigan Pier (1937), documenting his experience of working-class life in the industrial north of England, and Homage to Catalonia (1938), an account of his experiences soldiering for the Republican faction of the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939), are as critically respected as his essays on politics, literature, language and culture.
Orwell's work remains influential in popular culture and in political culture, and the adjective "Orwellian"—describing totalitarian and authoritarian social practices—is part of the English language, like many of his neologisms, such as "Big Brother", "Thought Police", "Room 101", "Newspeak", "memory hole", "doublethink", and "thoughtcrime". In 2008, The Times named Orwell the second-greatest British writer since 1945.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 186 reviews
September 9, 2018
Absolutely loved this. It's a collection of extracts from various books and essays over the years, mainly themed around freedom of intellect and speech. I'm a huge Orwell fan so a lot of this wasn't new to me, but it's a great condensation of the key points he made. I believe very few understood, or indeed, understand politics to the extent of George Orwell, specifically the threats of fascism and totalitarianism.
I'd recommend this to any Orwell fans, as well as newcomers who haven't got time to read his backlog.
10/10
I'd recommend this to any Orwell fans, as well as newcomers who haven't got time to read his backlog.
10/10
August 5, 2020
"Libertatea de expresie este de neimaginat. Toate celelalte libertăți sunt permise. Ești liber să fii bețiv, trântor, laș, lasciv, ești liber să muști pe la spate; dar nu ești liber să gândești cu propria-ți minte."
"Fiecare persoană din ziua de azi care gândește e încremenită de frică."
"Una dintre cele mai facile distracții din lume este discreditarea democrației."
"Nu există motive întemeiate pentru a crede că se poate realiza vreodată o schimbare cu adevărat fundamentală în mod pașnic."
"Nici un guvern nu poate arăta și nu arată nici cel mai mic respect pentru democratice atunci când este amenințat serios - decât dacă intenționează să se lase răsturnat."
Orwell este un maestru incontestabil în analiza fenomenelor politice, în trasarea unor concluzii cu referire la realități omniprezente și atemporale. Citesc acest volum de articole și eseuri pe care le-a scris în diverse perioade și înțeleg că omul a fost chiar un oracol...
Of, ce aș mai dărui această carte tuturor demagogilor de la noi 😄
Concluzie: e bună cartea și merită toată atenția voastră! 📚😏
Mulțumesc Editura Polirom 📚
#StămAcasăȘiCitim #FataCuCartea #CitimPentruSchimbare #MămicăDeViitorCititor
"Fiecare persoană din ziua de azi care gândește e încremenită de frică."
"Una dintre cele mai facile distracții din lume este discreditarea democrației."
"Nu există motive întemeiate pentru a crede că se poate realiza vreodată o schimbare cu adevărat fundamentală în mod pașnic."
"Nici un guvern nu poate arăta și nu arată nici cel mai mic respect pentru democratice atunci când este amenințat serios - decât dacă intenționează să se lase răsturnat."
Orwell este un maestru incontestabil în analiza fenomenelor politice, în trasarea unor concluzii cu referire la realități omniprezente și atemporale. Citesc acest volum de articole și eseuri pe care le-a scris în diverse perioade și înțeleg că omul a fost chiar un oracol...
Of, ce aș mai dărui această carte tuturor demagogilor de la noi 😄
Concluzie: e bună cartea și merită toată atenția voastră! 📚😏
Mulțumesc Editura Polirom 📚
#StămAcasăȘiCitim #FataCuCartea #CitimPentruSchimbare #MămicăDeViitorCititor
February 28, 2025
Felt the need for a shot of Orwell, so I picked up this small sampler-type volume. It’s an interesting collection of excerpts from Orwell’s works with brief pieces taken from his novels, essays, magazine articles, book reviews, newspaper columns, letters and radio broadcasts. These are arranged chronologically, beginning with Burmese Days (1934) and ending with Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949). The excerpts are short, most fewer than 10 pages in length, dealing with a range of subjects loosely connected with the theme of truth, among them: colonialism, political language, intellectual liberty, nationalism, dictatorship, democracy, propaganda, newspaper journalism and history, to mention only a few. The non-fiction pieces are written in Orwell’s conversational style with his usual clarity, logic and purpose. I enjoy reading Orwell and usually find that his points of view are thoughtful, experience-based and invariably persuasive. I found it especially interesting that Orwell’s comments on occurrences in Britain and Europe in the 1930s and 40s often seemed very applicable to the events taking place in the world of today.
October 4, 2021
"You cannot stop your brain developing, and it is one of the tragedies of the half-educated that they develop late, when they are already committed to some wrong way of life."
As the title indicates, this is a collection of Orwell's writing, from both his novels and non-fiction, on the subject of truth. Absolutely brilliant.
After reading some excerpts in this book, I've realized that in 1984, things like rearranging of events, rewriting them, changing of dates etc. were not mere figments of imagination, they are inspired by Orwell's real life experiences. Interesting. Excerpts taken from 1984 did scare me a bit, again.
I had some trouble understanding the meaning of these lines:
All propaganda is lies, even when one is telling the truth. I don’t think this matters so long as one knows what one is doing, and why.
As the title indicates, this is a collection of Orwell's writing, from both his novels and non-fiction, on the subject of truth. Absolutely brilliant.
After reading some excerpts in this book, I've realized that in 1984, things like rearranging of events, rewriting them, changing of dates etc. were not mere figments of imagination, they are inspired by Orwell's real life experiences. Interesting. Excerpts taken from 1984 did scare me a bit, again.
I had some trouble understanding the meaning of these lines:
All propaganda is lies, even when one is telling the truth. I don’t think this matters so long as one knows what one is doing, and why.
March 4, 2020
I’m not quite sure what to make if this anthology of Orwell’s writing. I was given two - one titled Freedom and this One titled Truth. This is the better of the two. There are some interesting pieces and they show Orwell’s brilliance. It has also a nice introduction by Alan Johnson.
But, and this is a big but for me, I can’t help feeling that if you really like Orwell you would read the original books rather than these anthologies made up of excerpts, mixing bits of his journalism, parts from his non fiction books with parts from his novels. Some of the journalism feels dated, whilst the literary excerpts are more timeless. The mixture does not always quite work for me.
Having said this there is enough good material for this to be interesting enough and it is a nicely produced book.
But, and this is a big but for me, I can’t help feeling that if you really like Orwell you would read the original books rather than these anthologies made up of excerpts, mixing bits of his journalism, parts from his non fiction books with parts from his novels. Some of the journalism feels dated, whilst the literary excerpts are more timeless. The mixture does not always quite work for me.
Having said this there is enough good material for this to be interesting enough and it is a nicely produced book.
February 15, 2018
One of the most important books I’ve read in years. Frightening at times with how little we have moved on in the last 60 years. As well as helping to show the motivation behind his novels, the non-fiction extracts also help to square off the world of modern politics too. Everyone should read this!
October 21, 2021
“In times of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act”.
George Orwell is still regarded as the great prophet of rising totalitarianism, government thought-control, and mass manipulation of behavior. George Orwell wrote about many topics over the course of his career, but the purpose was always to get to the fundamental truths of the world. Dissemblers, liars, conmen, and fraudsters had no place in his world, and he always made his point known.
In Orwell on Truth, extracts from Orwell's career reveal how his writing and perspective developed over the decades, affected deeply by his experiences in the Spanish Civil War, and then by World War II and the rise of totalitarian states. A willingness to expose the truth is more necessary than ever in a world that increasingly resembles one of Orwell's dystopias.
He convincingly addressed the main arguments against free speech, democracy, and moral relativism that have arisen in our current controversy. The fact that Orwell does this without disregarding or sugarcoating the obvious flaws in Western civilization struck me the most (media propaganda, working-class exploitation, imperialist history, etc)
Furthermore, the excerpt from Why I Write (1946) where Orwell shows that there are four main motives for writing, at least for writing prose, captivated me the most in this book. The "aesthetic enthusiasm" that he mentions as a reason is what I found most compelling - "Perception of beauty in the external world, or, on the other hand, in words and their right arrangement. Pleasure in the impact of one sound on another, in the firmness of good prose or the rhythm of a good story. Desire to share an experience which one feels is valuable and ought not to be missed."
Though I appreciated the author's honesty and straightforwardness, this is not a book I would have expected to read. His observations and thoughts are as wise today as they were when he wrote them. He has, at the very least, made me aware of their workings and taught me not to be so naïve in accepting what is offered to us as 'right' or 'wrong' just because of some subliminal political marketing. I believe this is would suit best to a journalist or a political activist than a fiction reader (as I identify myself).
The first thing that we ask of a writer is that he shall not tell lies, that he shall say what he really thinks, what he really feels. The worst thing we can say about a work of art is that it is insincere.
George Orwell is still regarded as the great prophet of rising totalitarianism, government thought-control, and mass manipulation of behavior. George Orwell wrote about many topics over the course of his career, but the purpose was always to get to the fundamental truths of the world. Dissemblers, liars, conmen, and fraudsters had no place in his world, and he always made his point known.
In Orwell on Truth, extracts from Orwell's career reveal how his writing and perspective developed over the decades, affected deeply by his experiences in the Spanish Civil War, and then by World War II and the rise of totalitarian states. A willingness to expose the truth is more necessary than ever in a world that increasingly resembles one of Orwell's dystopias.
He convincingly addressed the main arguments against free speech, democracy, and moral relativism that have arisen in our current controversy. The fact that Orwell does this without disregarding or sugarcoating the obvious flaws in Western civilization struck me the most (media propaganda, working-class exploitation, imperialist history, etc)
Furthermore, the excerpt from Why I Write (1946) where Orwell shows that there are four main motives for writing, at least for writing prose, captivated me the most in this book. The "aesthetic enthusiasm" that he mentions as a reason is what I found most compelling - "Perception of beauty in the external world, or, on the other hand, in words and their right arrangement. Pleasure in the impact of one sound on another, in the firmness of good prose or the rhythm of a good story. Desire to share an experience which one feels is valuable and ought not to be missed."
Though I appreciated the author's honesty and straightforwardness, this is not a book I would have expected to read. His observations and thoughts are as wise today as they were when he wrote them. He has, at the very least, made me aware of their workings and taught me not to be so naïve in accepting what is offered to us as 'right' or 'wrong' just because of some subliminal political marketing. I believe this is would suit best to a journalist or a political activist than a fiction reader (as I identify myself).
The first thing that we ask of a writer is that he shall not tell lies, that he shall say what he really thinks, what he really feels. The worst thing we can say about a work of art is that it is insincere.
November 1, 2018
Wow. This book was amazing. Orwell was so ahead of his time. Or maybe he was exactly in his time and the fact that his writing is still applicable should be concerning. Everything he wrote on has such relevance to today. If anything, we've only increased in the things he was warning against. If you want a thought provoking and insightful read I highly recommend this.
April 28, 2018
“Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth.” ― Henry David Thoreau, Walden.
For the people who don't know and don't want to read all the works of George Orwell, this is the very least you can do. This book is the collective appendage of enlightening, goosepumping excerpts from his works notably from 1984, Animal Farm, Burmese Days, The Road to Wigan Pier, Coming up for air, critical reviews from Tribune and other daily papers, Inquisitive Essays in search for the truth.
"By declining to lie, even as far as possible to himself, and by his determination to seek elusive but verifiable truth, he showed how much can be accomplished by an individual who unites the qualities of intellectual honesty and moral courage. And, permanently tempted though he was by cynicism and despair, Orwell also believed in the latent possession of these faculties by those we sometimes have the nerve to call ordinary people" - Christopher Hitchens
This is the very least one can do.
For the people who don't know and don't want to read all the works of George Orwell, this is the very least you can do. This book is the collective appendage of enlightening, goosepumping excerpts from his works notably from 1984, Animal Farm, Burmese Days, The Road to Wigan Pier, Coming up for air, critical reviews from Tribune and other daily papers, Inquisitive Essays in search for the truth.
"By declining to lie, even as far as possible to himself, and by his determination to seek elusive but verifiable truth, he showed how much can be accomplished by an individual who unites the qualities of intellectual honesty and moral courage. And, permanently tempted though he was by cynicism and despair, Orwell also believed in the latent possession of these faculties by those we sometimes have the nerve to call ordinary people" - Christopher Hitchens
This is the very least one can do.
December 29, 2021
Mi-am petrecut a doua parte a zilei de astăzi cu această carte care reunește, în aproximativ 200 de pagini, câteva dintre cele mai importante fragmente din operele lui Orwell și din articolele publicate de acesta.
"Mai mult citat, decât citit" (așa cum ne spune Teodor Baconschi în prefață), Orwell rămâne la fel de actual ca la momentul publicării scrierilor sale poate tocmai datorită faptului că, așa cum a spus-o chiar el, nu poate exista impuls creator fără sinceritate ("Scrierile care contează cât de cât nu pot fi create decât atunci când un om simte adevărul lucrurilor pe care le spune"). Or, adevărul va fi mereu de actualitate. Chiar și în epoca fake news-ului.
Citatul favorit:
"Dacă libertatea intelectuală, care, fără îndoială, este unul dintre semnele distinctive ale civilizației occidentale, înseamnă ceva, atunci rezultă că fiecare are dreptul de a spune și de a tipări ceea ce crede el că este adevărul, cu condiția să nu facă rău restului comunității în vreun mod foarte evident."
Ce bine-ar fi dacă și apostolii știrilor false l-ar parafraza complet.
"Mai mult citat, decât citit" (așa cum ne spune Teodor Baconschi în prefață), Orwell rămâne la fel de actual ca la momentul publicării scrierilor sale poate tocmai datorită faptului că, așa cum a spus-o chiar el, nu poate exista impuls creator fără sinceritate ("Scrierile care contează cât de cât nu pot fi create decât atunci când un om simte adevărul lucrurilor pe care le spune"). Or, adevărul va fi mereu de actualitate. Chiar și în epoca fake news-ului.
Citatul favorit:
"Dacă libertatea intelectuală, care, fără îndoială, este unul dintre semnele distinctive ale civilizației occidentale, înseamnă ceva, atunci rezultă că fiecare are dreptul de a spune și de a tipări ceea ce crede el că este adevărul, cu condiția să nu facă rău restului comunității în vreun mod foarte evident."
Ce bine-ar fi dacă și apostolii știrilor false l-ar parafraza complet.
December 26, 2020
This is a collection of various essays and excerpts of weekly columns as well as a few familiar passages out of Orwell’s well known works on the subject of truth.
“You cannot stop your brain developing, and it is one of the tragedies of the half-educated that they develop late, when they are already committed to some wrong way of life.”
Just about anything George Orwell ever said in his works is a maniacal truism that defines the times now and will keep on reflecting of how we act and think in the society. You could open the book at any page, look at any sentence and it would be a perfect reflection of the world today, 70 years after it was written. That’s what makes Orwell so brilliant - he is timeless and always actual.
I really enjoyed this book. It would make a perfect gift to any Orwell’s fan.
“You cannot stop your brain developing, and it is one of the tragedies of the half-educated that they develop late, when they are already committed to some wrong way of life.”
Just about anything George Orwell ever said in his works is a maniacal truism that defines the times now and will keep on reflecting of how we act and think in the society. You could open the book at any page, look at any sentence and it would be a perfect reflection of the world today, 70 years after it was written. That’s what makes Orwell so brilliant - he is timeless and always actual.
I really enjoyed this book. It would make a perfect gift to any Orwell’s fan.
December 7, 2020
"Visi tiki priešo žvėriškumu ir netiki saviškių žiaurumu"
October 12, 2025
„Šimtus metų maitinami literatūra, kur paskutiniame skyriuje neišvengiamai triumfuoja teisingumas, mes pusiau instinktyviai tikime, kad blogis anksčiau ar vėliau susinaikins“
4,5
4,5
December 17, 2019
The only part that I didn't like was the horrible introduction. With all due respect, I didn't buy the book to know Adam Hochschild's left-wing opinion of President Trump; I could've picked up the Huffington Post if I wanted that. But, beside Hochschild using Orwell's name to insert his political views on readers who wouldn't care for it in the first place, this is a flawless set of excerpts.
August 16, 2018
"Orwell on Truth" is a selection of Orwell's work discussing the subject of truth.
I had already read 1984 and Animal Farm, and I have always appreciated Orwell's style: direct, captivating.
This selection is very well introduced by Adam Hochschild, who wonders how Orwell would have reacted seeing this present, this world, and at the same time it is easy to understand reading this selection how the world Orwell had described in novels such as 1984 is not a dystopia anymore. It is a reality. What is the truth, what is a lie? Who determines which is which?
Reading Orwell makes you think, makes you ponder, reflect, and it is illuminating even if his writing comes from the past. It is now more present than ever.
I think everyone should read 1984, every single student should read it.
This selection is further proving how Orwell's thoughts were way ahead of his time, and they also were a warning of what we were and are not able to clearly see.
"A nightmare world in which the Leader, or some ruling clique, controls not only the future but the past. If the Leader says of such and such an event, 'It never happened' - well, it never happened. If he says that two and two are five - well, two and two are five. This prospect frightens me much more than bombs - and after our experiences of the last few years that is not a frivolous statement."
This piece was written in 1943, but doesn't it perfectly fit also now, in 2018?
I had already read 1984 and Animal Farm, and I have always appreciated Orwell's style: direct, captivating.
This selection is very well introduced by Adam Hochschild, who wonders how Orwell would have reacted seeing this present, this world, and at the same time it is easy to understand reading this selection how the world Orwell had described in novels such as 1984 is not a dystopia anymore. It is a reality. What is the truth, what is a lie? Who determines which is which?
Reading Orwell makes you think, makes you ponder, reflect, and it is illuminating even if his writing comes from the past. It is now more present than ever.
I think everyone should read 1984, every single student should read it.
This selection is further proving how Orwell's thoughts were way ahead of his time, and they also were a warning of what we were and are not able to clearly see.
"A nightmare world in which the Leader, or some ruling clique, controls not only the future but the past. If the Leader says of such and such an event, 'It never happened' - well, it never happened. If he says that two and two are five - well, two and two are five. This prospect frightens me much more than bombs - and after our experiences of the last few years that is not a frivolous statement."
This piece was written in 1943, but doesn't it perfectly fit also now, in 2018?
May 4, 2020
A pretty good book. After reading Popper's The Open Society and its Enemies, I can really see the similarity, not just in terms of how truth is warped, but also in how Orwell briefly describes nationalism and its romantic vagueness.
But this book probably shouldn't be read for great enlightenment on the nature of Truth, but rather as the growth of Orwell's ideas. The book ends with sections from 1984, and to see Orwell's ideas evolve through the years was amazing to read. This is a book best read to understand Orwell's late literature.
But this book probably shouldn't be read for great enlightenment on the nature of Truth, but rather as the growth of Orwell's ideas. The book ends with sections from 1984, and to see Orwell's ideas evolve through the years was amazing to read. This is a book best read to understand Orwell's late literature.
November 10, 2019
"Geriausia, ką būtų galima pasakyti apie Staliną, kad jis, galimas dalykas, elgiasi nuoširdžiai".
July 27, 2018
Total rip off. If you would like to read on Orwell’s thoughts about truth, read Animal Farm or 1984 or The Road To Wigan Pier. This odd book seems to me is a marketing strategy to get readers of Orwell to buy into because we admire him as a novelist and as a journalist.
December 12, 2021
Sterke bundeling vooruitziende essays en geschriften van George Orwell over waarheid, leugen en de invloed van samenleving en overheid op dit soort zaken. Met voorafgaand een uitstekend voorwoord van filosofe Tinneke Beeckman. Aanrader!
February 3, 2021
Edição maravilhosa e obrigatória para os dis atuais. Ansioso para ver o que mais virá agora que as obras de Orwell estão em dominio publico.
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May 29, 2024Heel sterk werk, zeker aan te raden na het lezen van 1984
January 19, 2021
Recentemente a obra de George Orwell passou para domínio público. Com isso vamos ter um enorme afluxo de adaptações e ressignificações acerca de seus trabalhos. A Companhia das Letras tem sido uma das principais editoras no Brasil a trazer obras do autor. E algumas delas despertam bastante interesse para a nossa sociedade como um todo. Sim, 1984 e A Fortuna dos Animais (novo título adotado para A Revolução dos Bichos) são obras seminais, mas Orwell foi um ativista e publicou artigos em diversas revistas e jornais. Algumas de suas matérias foram parar em coletâneas de não-ficção onde ele falava sobre temas como desigualdade social, o fascismo, suas previsões para o futuro. No pequeno livro de bolso Sobre a Verdade, foram reunidos diversos artigos do autor onde ele fala sobre assuntos os mais variados, mas o tema de ligação entre eles é a verdade. Percebemos o quanto Orwell tinha uma obsessão em entender como a nossa sociedade entendia o que era a verdade, conceito esse diferente da mera significação denotativa.
É preciso contextualizar o livro: ele possui artigos que vão desde 1934 até 1949, o ano de sua morte. A Europa passava por um período conturbado do Entre-Guerras e da Segunda Guerra Mundial. Um dos acontecimentos mais trágicos e definidores do que seriam os próximos anos foi a Guerra Civil Espanhola onde os países da antiga Tríplice Entende assistem pasmos a Alemanha testando seus equipamentos militares em uma enfraquecida Espanha que passa para o domínio do general Francisco Franco. Era uma demonstração de força do fascismo e um desrespeito cristalino ao acordo feito no Tratado de Versalhes, em 1919, que impedia os alemães de terem um exército fixo. Hitler colocava seu rosto para a multidão e com um discurso inflamado acendia o nacionalismo alemão, tocando nos sentimentos de um povo que desejava revanche pela humilhação do pós-Primeira Guerra Mundial. Inglaterra e França nada fizeram para deter o desastre ocorrido na Espanha e isso dava combustível para que Hitler pudesse tocar adiante suas ambições.
A Inglaterra ainda se recuperava do alto custo da Primeira Guerra Mundial: economia paralisada pelo esforço de guerra, altos gastos com a produção de equipamentos bélicos e mais de um terço da força de trabalho masculina em idade ativa perdida ou traumatizada pelo conflito. É nesse momento do Entre-Guerras que a Inglaterra se volta para suas colônias na África e na Ásia em um movimento imperialista selvagem que vai ajudar a destruir diversas culturas e a desequilibrar as conjunturas locais. Orwell vai observar de perto essas relações e chega a ir até esses locais onde descreve as desigualdades e abusos dos superintendentes coloniais. Ao mesmo tempo ele também vai passar alguns meses trabalhando no porto e observando a dinâmica das relações sociais, percebendo o quanto o governo inglês era inepto para lidar com uma população que caía cada vez mais em uma situação difícil.
Mas, o que isso tem a ver com a definição de verdade? Um dos pontos mais importantes na década de 1930 foi o quanto a propaganda se desenvolveu. Propaganda do radical propagar, espalhar, difundir. A indústria da informação tem suas origens nesse período principalmente a partir da formulação de especialistas como Goebbels, o ministro alemão da propaganda. A ideia era criar sólidas bases de sustentação para que um governante pudesse realizar seus trabalhos com calma e paciência. Para isso, Goebbels percebeu que o apoio da população se tornava cada vez mais importante para a estabilidade de um governo. Para aqueles que não fizeram a ligação, era o nascimento da opinião pública. Um governante apoiado pelo povo de forma incondicional era quase como um ser invencível dentro de seu castelo. Se vocês quiserem um exemplo basta procurar qualquer discurso de Adolf Hitler presente na internet e perceberemos o quanto a população idolatrava seu líder. Esse sentimento vinha de uma eficiente campanha de exaltação da figura do líder, de uma xenofobia selvagem a tudo o que não era ariano, de uma busca pelas origens heroicas do povo germânico e de uma campanha de desinformação a tudo o que se julgava nocivo ao regime.
É aí que começamos nossa conversa. Vou dar dois exemplos sobre como Orwell pensava a verdade e desenvolvemos a partir daí. Uma das perseguições mais selvagens ocorridas na Alemanha nesse período antes da Segunda Guerra era a de livros que não interessassem ao regime. Tudo o que pudesse dizer algo contra o fascismo era levado a uma fogueira e devidamente queimado. Controlar o volume de informação era uma forma eficiente de estabelecer o que é ou não a verdade. Orwell comenta a quantidade minúscula de informações detidas pela Inglaterra às vésperas da guerra. Isso contribuiu também para a indecisão do governo britânico.
Outro argumento usado por Orwell é a verificação da veracidade de uma informação. Em um de seus artigos ele faz uma comparação entre o grau de veracidade de um jornal e o quanto ele era popular. Claro que ele parte de suas próprias deduções sobre fatos verídicos. Mas, o jornal que ele considera ser aquele que possui informação mais fidedigna não está nem entre os dez mais vendidos. Ao mesmo tempo ele questiona a honestidade dos jornais. Porque, com base nessa informação, podemos perceber que o que vende mais nem sempre é o que possui maior grau de veracidade. A forma como a notícia é veiculada, mesmo de forma noticiosa se torna uma variável percebida como fonte de vendas.
Orwell é também bastante auto-crítico. Principalmente no que diz respeito a como o governo inglês trata as suas colônias. Para ele, fala-se muito sobre as atrocidades cometidas pelo inimigo. E isso em plena Segunda Guerra com milhares de soldados e civis morrendo nos campos de batalha. Mas, para ele é preciso perceber também as atrocidades cometidas também do lado de cá. Ele vai até mais longe acusando o grande público de acreditar em uma informação com base em sua ideologia política. Estamos diante de um Orwell cada vez mais radical e entendendo a verdade como uma moeda cara aos olhos das pessoas. É possível associarmos o seu radicalismo a um inconformismo sobre como as coisas se encaminhavam. No momento em que ele fazia essa afirmação estávamos em 1943 com a Segunda Guerra adotando uma face cruel e a Alemanha se encaminhava para um impasse sobre o que fazer a respeito da URSS. A Inglaterra havia sofrido um terrível revés e estávamos longe ainda do Dia D que aconteceria no ano seguinte. As perspectivas eram nefastas e Orwell fazia várias projeções com os nazistas permanecendo muito tempo no poder.
Mas, mais do que isso: essas asserções do autor podem ser traduzidas para os dias de hoje no mundo em que vivemos. Primeiro porque a informação se tornou uma commodity. Empresas lutam por aquilo que convenhamos chamar de big data, que nada mais são do que informações privilegiadas sobre hábitos e tendências de alguém que usa a internet nos dias de hoje. Manipular informação se tornou parte do jogo, seja ele comercial ou político. Aliás, recomendo aos leitores que abandonem a expressão fake news em prol de outra: desinformação. O coletivo Intervozes, que foi responsável pela organização do livro Desinformação - Crise Política e Saídas Democráticas para as Fake News, faz uma distinção boa entre má informação e desinformação. A má informação é a informação errada com base em presunções mal elaboradas enquanto que a desinformação é a informação errada com o objetivo de causar algum impacto social. Orwell trata desse tema da desinformação quando analisa a contra-inteligência alemã que havia proibido a manipulação de informações em plena Segunda Guerra para que a população soubesse como combater os aliados. Se, em um primeiro momento, a desinformação serviu para colocar Hitler no poder, agora o assunto era diferente. A boa informação se tornou necessária para mudar os rumos do conflito.
Tem também uma velha máxima que diz que a História é contada pelo vencedor; ao perdedor cabe ser julgado e apagado. Orwell traça um comparativo entre várias situações semelhantes a partir dos dois lados. Por exemplo: muito se fala sobre o massacre japonês ocorrido em Nanquim, em 1937. Mas, pouco se fala o que os ingleses fizeram em Hong Kong em 1942. Algo que teve consequências político-econômicas que foram arrastadas até o século XXI. Como historiador e sociólogo, consigo perceber o quanto Orwell é um homem de seu tempo, e um homem afetado pelo seu tempo. Militante, é impossível manter a cabeça fria diante de tantas atrocidades e violências cometidas durante esse conflito mundial. Basta pensarmos que toda a intelectualidade que sai da Segunda Guerra e entra pelas décadas de 1950 e 1960 é um grupo desesperançoso quanto às possibilidades da humanidade. O fardo de dois conflitos globais recai sobre esse grupo formado por autores e artistas marcados por uma história de violência que vitimou milhões. Se o rescaldo da Primeira Guerra foi a perda de um terço da força de trabalho masculina em idade ativa, o da Segunda Guerra foi a da essência do que nos torna humanos. Algo que só vamos conseguir recuperar a partir dos movimentos hippies na década de 1970.
Sobre a Verdade é um livro genial e que mostra inúmeras facetas de um autor que estamos acostumados a admirar. Mas, ele me conquistou ainda mais por demonstrar sua humanidade em um momento crítico como o visto entre 1938 e 1945. É emblemático perceber em um livro que fala sobre a verdade que os últimos capítulos são pequenos excertos do livro 1984, a última grande obra escrita por ele.
É preciso contextualizar o livro: ele possui artigos que vão desde 1934 até 1949, o ano de sua morte. A Europa passava por um período conturbado do Entre-Guerras e da Segunda Guerra Mundial. Um dos acontecimentos mais trágicos e definidores do que seriam os próximos anos foi a Guerra Civil Espanhola onde os países da antiga Tríplice Entende assistem pasmos a Alemanha testando seus equipamentos militares em uma enfraquecida Espanha que passa para o domínio do general Francisco Franco. Era uma demonstração de força do fascismo e um desrespeito cristalino ao acordo feito no Tratado de Versalhes, em 1919, que impedia os alemães de terem um exército fixo. Hitler colocava seu rosto para a multidão e com um discurso inflamado acendia o nacionalismo alemão, tocando nos sentimentos de um povo que desejava revanche pela humilhação do pós-Primeira Guerra Mundial. Inglaterra e França nada fizeram para deter o desastre ocorrido na Espanha e isso dava combustível para que Hitler pudesse tocar adiante suas ambições.
A Inglaterra ainda se recuperava do alto custo da Primeira Guerra Mundial: economia paralisada pelo esforço de guerra, altos gastos com a produção de equipamentos bélicos e mais de um terço da força de trabalho masculina em idade ativa perdida ou traumatizada pelo conflito. É nesse momento do Entre-Guerras que a Inglaterra se volta para suas colônias na África e na Ásia em um movimento imperialista selvagem que vai ajudar a destruir diversas culturas e a desequilibrar as conjunturas locais. Orwell vai observar de perto essas relações e chega a ir até esses locais onde descreve as desigualdades e abusos dos superintendentes coloniais. Ao mesmo tempo ele também vai passar alguns meses trabalhando no porto e observando a dinâmica das relações sociais, percebendo o quanto o governo inglês era inepto para lidar com uma população que caía cada vez mais em uma situação difícil.
Mas, o que isso tem a ver com a definição de verdade? Um dos pontos mais importantes na década de 1930 foi o quanto a propaganda se desenvolveu. Propaganda do radical propagar, espalhar, difundir. A indústria da informação tem suas origens nesse período principalmente a partir da formulação de especialistas como Goebbels, o ministro alemão da propaganda. A ideia era criar sólidas bases de sustentação para que um governante pudesse realizar seus trabalhos com calma e paciência. Para isso, Goebbels percebeu que o apoio da população se tornava cada vez mais importante para a estabilidade de um governo. Para aqueles que não fizeram a ligação, era o nascimento da opinião pública. Um governante apoiado pelo povo de forma incondicional era quase como um ser invencível dentro de seu castelo. Se vocês quiserem um exemplo basta procurar qualquer discurso de Adolf Hitler presente na internet e perceberemos o quanto a população idolatrava seu líder. Esse sentimento vinha de uma eficiente campanha de exaltação da figura do líder, de uma xenofobia selvagem a tudo o que não era ariano, de uma busca pelas origens heroicas do povo germânico e de uma campanha de desinformação a tudo o que se julgava nocivo ao regime.
É aí que começamos nossa conversa. Vou dar dois exemplos sobre como Orwell pensava a verdade e desenvolvemos a partir daí. Uma das perseguições mais selvagens ocorridas na Alemanha nesse período antes da Segunda Guerra era a de livros que não interessassem ao regime. Tudo o que pudesse dizer algo contra o fascismo era levado a uma fogueira e devidamente queimado. Controlar o volume de informação era uma forma eficiente de estabelecer o que é ou não a verdade. Orwell comenta a quantidade minúscula de informações detidas pela Inglaterra às vésperas da guerra. Isso contribuiu também para a indecisão do governo britânico.
Outro argumento usado por Orwell é a verificação da veracidade de uma informação. Em um de seus artigos ele faz uma comparação entre o grau de veracidade de um jornal e o quanto ele era popular. Claro que ele parte de suas próprias deduções sobre fatos verídicos. Mas, o jornal que ele considera ser aquele que possui informação mais fidedigna não está nem entre os dez mais vendidos. Ao mesmo tempo ele questiona a honestidade dos jornais. Porque, com base nessa informação, podemos perceber que o que vende mais nem sempre é o que possui maior grau de veracidade. A forma como a notícia é veiculada, mesmo de forma noticiosa se torna uma variável percebida como fonte de vendas.
Orwell é também bastante auto-crítico. Principalmente no que diz respeito a como o governo inglês trata as suas colônias. Para ele, fala-se muito sobre as atrocidades cometidas pelo inimigo. E isso em plena Segunda Guerra com milhares de soldados e civis morrendo nos campos de batalha. Mas, para ele é preciso perceber também as atrocidades cometidas também do lado de cá. Ele vai até mais longe acusando o grande público de acreditar em uma informação com base em sua ideologia política. Estamos diante de um Orwell cada vez mais radical e entendendo a verdade como uma moeda cara aos olhos das pessoas. É possível associarmos o seu radicalismo a um inconformismo sobre como as coisas se encaminhavam. No momento em que ele fazia essa afirmação estávamos em 1943 com a Segunda Guerra adotando uma face cruel e a Alemanha se encaminhava para um impasse sobre o que fazer a respeito da URSS. A Inglaterra havia sofrido um terrível revés e estávamos longe ainda do Dia D que aconteceria no ano seguinte. As perspectivas eram nefastas e Orwell fazia várias projeções com os nazistas permanecendo muito tempo no poder.
Mas, mais do que isso: essas asserções do autor podem ser traduzidas para os dias de hoje no mundo em que vivemos. Primeiro porque a informação se tornou uma commodity. Empresas lutam por aquilo que convenhamos chamar de big data, que nada mais são do que informações privilegiadas sobre hábitos e tendências de alguém que usa a internet nos dias de hoje. Manipular informação se tornou parte do jogo, seja ele comercial ou político. Aliás, recomendo aos leitores que abandonem a expressão fake news em prol de outra: desinformação. O coletivo Intervozes, que foi responsável pela organização do livro Desinformação - Crise Política e Saídas Democráticas para as Fake News, faz uma distinção boa entre má informação e desinformação. A má informação é a informação errada com base em presunções mal elaboradas enquanto que a desinformação é a informação errada com o objetivo de causar algum impacto social. Orwell trata desse tema da desinformação quando analisa a contra-inteligência alemã que havia proibido a manipulação de informações em plena Segunda Guerra para que a população soubesse como combater os aliados. Se, em um primeiro momento, a desinformação serviu para colocar Hitler no poder, agora o assunto era diferente. A boa informação se tornou necessária para mudar os rumos do conflito.
Tem também uma velha máxima que diz que a História é contada pelo vencedor; ao perdedor cabe ser julgado e apagado. Orwell traça um comparativo entre várias situações semelhantes a partir dos dois lados. Por exemplo: muito se fala sobre o massacre japonês ocorrido em Nanquim, em 1937. Mas, pouco se fala o que os ingleses fizeram em Hong Kong em 1942. Algo que teve consequências político-econômicas que foram arrastadas até o século XXI. Como historiador e sociólogo, consigo perceber o quanto Orwell é um homem de seu tempo, e um homem afetado pelo seu tempo. Militante, é impossível manter a cabeça fria diante de tantas atrocidades e violências cometidas durante esse conflito mundial. Basta pensarmos que toda a intelectualidade que sai da Segunda Guerra e entra pelas décadas de 1950 e 1960 é um grupo desesperançoso quanto às possibilidades da humanidade. O fardo de dois conflitos globais recai sobre esse grupo formado por autores e artistas marcados por uma história de violência que vitimou milhões. Se o rescaldo da Primeira Guerra foi a perda de um terço da força de trabalho masculina em idade ativa, o da Segunda Guerra foi a da essência do que nos torna humanos. Algo que só vamos conseguir recuperar a partir dos movimentos hippies na década de 1970.
Sobre a Verdade é um livro genial e que mostra inúmeras facetas de um autor que estamos acostumados a admirar. Mas, ele me conquistou ainda mais por demonstrar sua humanidade em um momento crítico como o visto entre 1938 e 1945. É emblemático perceber em um livro que fala sobre a verdade que os últimos capítulos são pequenos excertos do livro 1984, a última grande obra escrita por ele.
November 5, 2022
Rating: 3.5
This is a loose compilation of essays previously written by Orwell on the nature of truth and how it's used in any literary medium (newspapers, poems, novels, nonfiction, etc). They are basically Orwell's thoughts which he penned down in various of his publications and extracted to make up a portion of this book.
As always with Orwell's nonfiction works, they're relatable to a certain degree, and I love how contradictory he can come off in his views while still making sense of his nonsenseif that makes sense. I enjoyed this for what it was, but overall it felt a little bit disjointed because the topics jump from one thing to another, and some of the articles these essays are extracted from would only make sense within context, so they don't completely gel together when pasted together in this kind of format.
Still a good read, but not my fav from Orwell's collection. I'd say you'd like this if you're a fan of Orwell's writings, but otherwise you're better off reading other titles from his oeuvre.
This is a loose compilation of essays previously written by Orwell on the nature of truth and how it's used in any literary medium (newspapers, poems, novels, nonfiction, etc). They are basically Orwell's thoughts which he penned down in various of his publications and extracted to make up a portion of this book.
As always with Orwell's nonfiction works, they're relatable to a certain degree, and I love how contradictory he can come off in his views while still making sense of his nonsense
Still a good read, but not my fav from Orwell's collection. I'd say you'd like this if you're a fan of Orwell's writings, but otherwise you're better off reading other titles from his oeuvre.
March 1, 2025
Sempre attuale. Uno dei libri più belli che abbia mai letto.
May 15, 2018
A short collection of commentaries on truth by the author of 1984 and Animal Farm.
Book Review: Orwell on Truth is a small, odd book, but no less interesting and valuable for that. This volume was deliberately gathered to address our "alternative facts" and "fake news" era, or should I just say misinformation, propaganda, and lies? Sadly, Orwell's thoughts are equally on point now as when they were originally written in response to Nazism and Stalinism. One of history's passionately committed writers, Orwell's great enemy was totalitarianism and fascism, whether capitalist or communist. He despised the disregard for truth which is fascism's sharpest tool. Orwell on Truth includes excerpts from throughout his writing career, including his novels. Orwell notes that those most ready to believe the unbelievable are "the poor, the ill-educated and above all, people who were economically insecure or had unhappy private lives." He notes that the unjust are always willing to defend the indefensible. Another observation is "already there are countless people who would think it scandalous to falsify a scientific textbook, but would see nothing wrong in falsifying a historical fact." Both happen in America. A few other of his thoughts:
>Democratic methods are only possible where there is a fairly large basis of agreement between all political parties.
>Totalitarianism ... declares itself infallible, and at the same time it attacks the very concept of objective truth.
>Our social structure ... is founded on cheap coloured labour.
>This kind of thing is frightening to me, because it often gives me the feeling that the very concept of objective truth is fading out of the world.
>The thing that strikes me more and more ...is the extraordinary viciousness and dishonesty of political controversy.
>[They] can survive almost any mistake because their more devoted followers do not look to them for an appraisal of the facts but for the stimulation of nationalistic loyalties.
>There is always a temptation to claim that any book whose tendency one disagrees with must be a bad book from a literary point of view.
>A genuinely unfashionable opinion is almost never given a fair hearing.
Orwell writes of the importance of moral fiction and moral writing in general: "No one ever wrote a great book in praise of the Inquisition." Orwell on Truth was an invaluable resource for finding parallels between our time and the period before and during the Second World War, an educational and interesting read. But when finished, I wasn't sure exactly what to with it, except as a call to avoid being condemned to repeat the past. [3★]
Book Review: Orwell on Truth is a small, odd book, but no less interesting and valuable for that. This volume was deliberately gathered to address our "alternative facts" and "fake news" era, or should I just say misinformation, propaganda, and lies? Sadly, Orwell's thoughts are equally on point now as when they were originally written in response to Nazism and Stalinism. One of history's passionately committed writers, Orwell's great enemy was totalitarianism and fascism, whether capitalist or communist. He despised the disregard for truth which is fascism's sharpest tool. Orwell on Truth includes excerpts from throughout his writing career, including his novels. Orwell notes that those most ready to believe the unbelievable are "the poor, the ill-educated and above all, people who were economically insecure or had unhappy private lives." He notes that the unjust are always willing to defend the indefensible. Another observation is "already there are countless people who would think it scandalous to falsify a scientific textbook, but would see nothing wrong in falsifying a historical fact." Both happen in America. A few other of his thoughts:
>Democratic methods are only possible where there is a fairly large basis of agreement between all political parties.
>Totalitarianism ... declares itself infallible, and at the same time it attacks the very concept of objective truth.
>Our social structure ... is founded on cheap coloured labour.
>This kind of thing is frightening to me, because it often gives me the feeling that the very concept of objective truth is fading out of the world.
>The thing that strikes me more and more ...is the extraordinary viciousness and dishonesty of political controversy.
>[They] can survive almost any mistake because their more devoted followers do not look to them for an appraisal of the facts but for the stimulation of nationalistic loyalties.
>There is always a temptation to claim that any book whose tendency one disagrees with must be a bad book from a literary point of view.
>A genuinely unfashionable opinion is almost never given a fair hearing.
Orwell writes of the importance of moral fiction and moral writing in general: "No one ever wrote a great book in praise of the Inquisition." Orwell on Truth was an invaluable resource for finding parallels between our time and the period before and during the Second World War, an educational and interesting read. But when finished, I wasn't sure exactly what to with it, except as a call to avoid being condemned to repeat the past. [3★]
July 17, 2018
Great, great book. Reading this book it brought to mind that even 70 years later most everything he says still holds true today. From leaders telling lies to the media being owned by a few rich self interested men many things haven't changed. But it does give me a little hope that as bad as things may be we've survived this in the past and can again.
June 1, 2018
The evident connection between personal unhappiness and readiness to believe the incredible is its most interesting discovery.
Whoever feels the value of literature, whoever sees the central part it plays in the development of human history, must also see the life and death necessity of resisting totalitarianism, whether it is imposed on us from without or from within.
The truth, it is felt, becomes untruth when your enemy utters it.
The general uncertainty as to what is really happening makes it easier to cling to lunatic beliefs. Since nothing is ever quite proved or disproved, the most unthinkable fact can be imprudently denied.
To write in plain, vigorous language one has to think fearlessly, and if one thinks fearlessly one cannot be politically orthodox.
A bought mind is a spoiled mind.
The great enemy of clear language is insincerity.
In our age there is no such thing as 'keeping out of politics.' All issues are political issues, and politics itself is a mass of lies, evasions, folly, hatred and schizophrenia.
It is not said often enough that a nation gets the newspapers it deserves.
We shall have a serious and truthful popular Press when public opinion actively demands it.
Whoever feels the value of literature, whoever sees the central part it plays in the development of human history, must also see the life and death necessity of resisting totalitarianism, whether it is imposed on us from without or from within.
The truth, it is felt, becomes untruth when your enemy utters it.
The general uncertainty as to what is really happening makes it easier to cling to lunatic beliefs. Since nothing is ever quite proved or disproved, the most unthinkable fact can be imprudently denied.
To write in plain, vigorous language one has to think fearlessly, and if one thinks fearlessly one cannot be politically orthodox.
A bought mind is a spoiled mind.
The great enemy of clear language is insincerity.
In our age there is no such thing as 'keeping out of politics.' All issues are political issues, and politics itself is a mass of lies, evasions, folly, hatred and schizophrenia.
It is not said often enough that a nation gets the newspapers it deserves.
We shall have a serious and truthful popular Press when public opinion actively demands it.
January 11, 2020
I love Orwell, and this book is a great entry point for those looking to get into his essays and understand his feelings about truth, politics, and the fight against totalitarian governments, but one should know that this is simply a series of excerpts from longer essays and novels, and some of the excerpts do sometimes veer away ever so slightly from the topic at hand, but it's still interesting to see the parallels between what Orwell warned us about in the 30s/40s and what we're experiencing now with political leaders, oligarchs, and the powerful using the truth and media to control the thinking of those "beneath" them. This is worth reading, but if you want something more comprehensive on this topic, you may need to look elsewhere.
June 12, 2018
An excellent book containing a list of short pieces on the topic of truth from Orwell's writings. Each piece reminds us of what mind Orwell such a great writer: his ability to hone in on the truth like a laser (in a way few are able to), and the courage to come out and say it despite the consequences. Here, he discusses a wide variety of topics: the media and their cowardice, imperialistic attitudes of the British, the tribalistic nature of societies, and so on. This book is the perfect antidote to the fuckery coming out of journalists today. The sad thing is, if Orwell existed today, he would very likely be silenced and marginalised, such is the climate. He would probably be called a bigot, a racist, even far-right and a Nazi.
July 7, 2022
A quick tour of Orwell's writings centered on the theme of truth, how it's preserved, and how it's betrayed. Especially relevant today in my country, where the son of a dictator has just been sworn into office.
Despite the eclectic sources this book pulls from; his novels, essays, and non-fiction, a common theme running through all this is a plea for the respect and acknowledgement of objective truth, and of the sacrosanct status of human dignity and liberty.
Despite the eclectic sources this book pulls from; his novels, essays, and non-fiction, a common theme running through all this is a plea for the respect and acknowledgement of objective truth, and of the sacrosanct status of human dignity and liberty.
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