It Is Essential That People Remain Ignorant -- Harold Pinter

[panopticon]

Posted by buares (here)

Posted by panopticon (here)
It Is Essential That People Remain Ignorant -- Harold Pinter

The Difference Between Essential and Necessary

“Necessary” and “essential” are used to show an indispensable thing or point towards a thing which is an absolute must. “Essential” refers to things “without which one cannot do” whereas, “necessary” refers to “things which cannot be avoided but can be done without.”

“Essential” and “necessary” are words which are used in different circumstances. “Essential” is “something without which we cannot do” and “necessary” is “something which is important but we can do without it.”

“Essential” means “absolutely necessary”; it also means “indispensable” [...] “constituting or pertaining to the essence of something.” [...] “something which is natural and spontaneous” [...] “a necessary element, indispensable, basic or chief point.”

The word “necessary” -> “Indispensable, being essential” [...] “Existing due to necessity or happening due to necessity” [...] “Something which is requisite or necessary.”

Source: http://www.differencebetween.net/lan...and-necessary/

Very good point Buares.

Pinter always chose his words carefully and his contextual use for 'essential' was in "talking to power". He is showing that it is indeed essential for the maintenance of power structures that people remain ignorant. Without ignorance, history shows us, power is often challenged.

... the majority of politicians, on the evidence available to us, are interested not in truth but in power and in the maintenance of that power. To maintain that power it is essential that people remain in ignorance, that they live in ignorance of the truth, even the truth of their own lives. What surrounds us therefore is a vast tapestry of lies, upon which we feed.

Such simple eloquence that conveys meaning and speaks to the heart of his point.

Truly a great writer and deserving of the accolades he received.

-- Pan