“On meurt deux Source fois, je le vois bien : > > Cesser d’aimer & d’être aimable, > > C’est une mort insupportable : > > Cesser de vivre, ce n’est rien.”
Few concepts terrify the human spirit like the total loss of freedom. Totalitarianism – Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy We instinctively recoil from systems that dictate our every move. Throughout the twentieth century, one specific phrase captured this nightmare scenario perfectly. It describes a society where personal choice vanishes completely. The saying is: “Everything which is not compulsory is forbidden.”
This maxim defines the essence of totalitarian rule. It paints a picture of a world without neutral ground. In such a place, you must either obey a direct command or face punishment. No space exists for voluntary action or individual creativity. Consequently, this paradox has become a standard definition for dictatorships and oppressive regimes.
However, the origin of this chilling observation remains a mystery to many. Most people attribute it to famous science fiction writers or Nobel Prize-winning physicists. Indeed, many brilliant minds used the phrase. Yet, the true story of its birth is far more surprising. It did not start in a political manifesto. Instead, it seemingly began with a complaint about college rules.
The Logical Inversion of Liberty
To understand the power of this phrase, we must first look at its opposite. Liberal democracies operate on a foundational legal principle. We generally accept that “whatever is not forbidden is permitted.” This concept protects individual agency. It means that citizens can do anything they want, provided no specific law prohibits it. Therefore, freedom is the default state of existence.
Totalitarianism flips this logic on its head. It removes the vast territory of “permission.” Instead, it installs a binary system of control. The state dictates what you must do. Anything outside of those specific commands becomes illegal. Thus, the government eliminates the very possibility of private life.
This inversion creates a suffocating environment. You cannot simply exist; you must constantly perform duties. If you stop performing compulsory acts, you automatically commit a crime. Writers and thinkers have long used this terrifying logic to warn us about the dangers of unchecked state power.
Misplaced Credit and Famous Adopters
Over the decades, society has credited several prominent figures with coining this aphorism. T. H. White, the author of The Once and Future King, often receives the accolade. In his book The Book of Merlyn, he depicts an ant society that lives by this brutal code. The ants function as a hive mind, lacking all individuality. Consequently, readers associate the phrase with his critique of collectivism.
Similarly, science fiction legend Robert Heinlein used the phrase effectively. He incorporated it into his 1940 story “Coventry.” Heinlein described a functionalist state that viewed society as a single organism. In this dystopian vision, the individual served only as a cell in a larger body. Therefore, personal choice was obsolete.
Even the world of physics adopted the saying. Murray Gell-Mann, a Nobel laureate, applied it to quantum mechanics. He formulated the “Totalitarian Principle” regarding particle interactions. He stated that “anything which is not prohibited is compulsory” in the quantum realm. While these figures popularized the saying, none of them invented it. They simply amplified a concept that was already circulating in the public consciousness.
The True Origin: A Complaint About College
Diligent researchers have finally traced the saying back to its roots. Source . Surprisingly, Holbrook was not analyzing the rise of fascism in Europe. He was writing a humorous piece about the strictures of American college life.
Holbrook authored an article titled “The Way of All Freshmen.” In this piece, he lamented the rigid schedules imposed on new students. He described a life ruled by curfews, mandatory chapel services, and strict academic requirements. He felt that the administration treated young adults like children.
He observed that the college authorities left no room for discretion. He wrote that everything in a freshman’s life fell into two categories. Things were either “absolutely compulsory” or “strictly forbidden.” He noted that the administration eliminated any middle ground where a student might exercise judgment. Thus, a phrase that would later define geopolitical terror began as a grievance about university bureaucracy.
From Campus Jokes to Political Critique
The phrase did not stay on campus for long. By the late 1930s, the world situation had darkened significantly. Authoritarian regimes were consolidating power across Europe. Commentators needed language to describe the suffocation of liberty they witnessed. Consequently, they repurposed the binary logic of “compulsory or forbidden.”
In 1938, the expression appeared in serious political discourse. Ronald Storrs, a British official, used it to describe foreign dictatorships. He contrasted these regimes with the freedom enjoyed in England. He noted that in free countries, people could speak and act without constant instruction. Conversely, totalitarian states managed every breath their citizens took.
Harry Lindsay, another British figure, echoed this sentiment that same year. He spoke in Canada about the “British genius” for freedom. He defined rival state systems as places “where everything that was not forbidden was compulsory.” This repetition suggests the phrase was gaining traction. It became a shorthand for criticizing the enemies of democracy.
Fiction Writers Amplify the Warning
As the 1940s arrived, fiction writers recognized the dramatic potential of the maxim. They saw it as the perfect description for dystopian societies. It encapsulated the ultimate horror of a planned economy or a fascist state. Therefore, they wove it into their narratives to frighten and educate their readers.
We see this clearly in the works of authors like T. H. White. When he wrote about Arthur and the ants, he wanted to show the dehumanizing effect of total obedience. The ants did not just follow orders; they lacked the capacity to disobey. The sign above their tunnel, “EVERYTHING NOT FORBIDDEN IS COMPULSORY,” served as a grim warning to humanity.
W. H. Auden also engaged with the concept in his poetry. In the 1970s, he wrote lines about minerals and inorganic matter. He described their existence as a regime “where what is not forbidden is compulsory.” He used the phrase to highlight the difference between dead matter and living, choosing beings. Life requires choice; without it, we are merely rocks obeying gravity.
The Lasting Legacy of a Dark Maxim
Today, the phrase remains a powerful tool for political analysis. We use it to identify overreach by governments and organizations. It serves as a litmus test for liberty. Whenever a rulebook becomes too thick, or a government too intrusive, we recall this warning.
Weare Holbrook likely never imagined his complaint would endure for a century. He simply wanted to poke fun at gray-bearded deans and strict curfews. However, he accidentally articulated a fundamental truth about power. When authority goes unchecked, it seeks to eliminate the unknown.
Ultimately, the journey of this quote reminds us of the fragility of freedom. Liberty exists in the spaces between laws. It lives in the things we choose to do, not the things we must do. We must protect that neutral ground. If we fail, we risk entering a world where everything is either mandatory or banned.