Title: In 1984, what are the three sacred principles of Ingsoc? - eNotes.com
Headings: In
1984
, what are the three sacred principles of Ingsoc?

1984
In 1984, what are the three sacred principles of Ingsoc?
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Content: In 1984, the scene in which, in the middle of a rally, the speaker suddenly declares that Oceania is at war with Eastasia and has always been at war with it and is in alliance with Eurasia and has always been— the direct opposite of the truth—demonstrates the Party's manipulation of facts ad absurdum. To the Party, truth is whatever it declares truth to be, and people are expected to believe it in spite of what their own senses and memories tell them, just as they are expected to believe that opposites such as freedom and slavery are the same thing. This is the 1984-version of "alternative facts" being presented as reality. The third slogan, "Ignorance is Strength," is not as much of a direct self-contradiction as the first two, but it nevertheless demonstrates the same principle—that it is desirable for people not to have knowledge. If people are kept in a state of ignorance (which the Party considers strength), then they can be manipulated and controlled to whatever degree the Party wishes. As O'Brien reveals during Winston's interrogation and torture, the Party's sole motivation is power. In other words, the old ideas about creating an egalitarian society and freedom for the working class are a sham, and this is obvious when one considers the principles embedded in Ingsoc. Approved by eNotes Editorial Team
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