ideas in a party come from on high and shape the thought
of the rank and file. That’s the best way to produce a stupid
idea, since ideas, of course, must be forged at the base. They
must not be anticipated at the top. That’s why I’ve loathed
the mere notion of political parties ever since I was twenty.
One must recognize that a political party doesn’t possess
truth, and doesn’t try to seek it. A party has intentions, it
follows a given path. Fellow traveler-to me the term
means precisely the guy outside of the Party who tries to
think the truth, hoping the Party will make use of it. Sartre






