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In a time of deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.

Often attributed to George Orwell; not found in his writings

Literature

The story behind the card

George Orwell (1903–1950), author of Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four, is often credited with this line, but it has never been found in his books, essays or letters. Its earliest known appearance is at the front of a 1982 book on the uranium industry by V. G. Venturini, signed “G. Orwell” with no source. The idea is older: in 1898, speaking about Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish army officer wrongly convicted of treason, the French socialist Jean Jaurès said that when a society lives only by lies, truth is revolutionary.

Türkçe oku
Aldatmacanın hüküm sürdüğü zamanlarda doğruyu söylemek devrimci bir eylemdir.
George Orwell'e atfedilir; yazılarında geçmez

Bu söz hep George Orwell'e (1903–1950) mal edilir, ama Hayvan Çiftliği ile 1984'ün yazarının hiçbir kitabında, denemesinde ya da mektubunda geçmez. Sözün izi ancak 1982'ye kadar sürülebilmiştir: V. G. Venturini'nin uranyum sanayisi üzerine yazdığı bir kitabın başında, kaynak gösterilmeden “G. Orwell” imzasıyla yer alır. Düşünce ise daha eskidir. Fransız sosyalist Jean Jaurès 1898'de, yalnızca yalanla ayakta duran bir toplumda gerçeğin devrimci olduğunu söylemişti. Bunu, Yahudi subay Alfred Dreyfus'un vatana ihanetle haksız yere mahkûm edildiği dava için söylüyordu.

Sources and further reading

Background reading: George Orwell
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