"Idealism is the despot of thought, just as politics is the despot of will"

In this quote, Mikhail Bakunin is comparing 2 powerful forces that control our actions and beliefs. He states that idealism, which is the pursuit of perfection and the belief in a perfect world, is like a tyrant that dominates our ideas and determines what we should think and believe. Similarly, politics, which is the pursuit of power and control, is like a totalitarian that rules over our will and affects our actions. Bakunin suggests that both idealism and politics can be oppressive and restrict our flexibility to believe and act individually. This quote works as a warning against blindly following ideologies and political programs without crucial thinking and individual agency.