1984

           Winstonmadeanotherconvulsivemovement. Thistimehedidnotsayanything. O’Briencontinuedasthoughansweringaspokenobjection: 

           ‘Forcertainpurposes,ofcourse,thatisnottrue. Whenwenavigatetheocean,orwhenwepredictaneclipse,weoftenfinditconvenienttoassumethattheearthgoesroundthesunandthatthestarsaremillionsuponmillionsofkilometresaway. Butwhatofit? Doyousupposeitisbeyondustoproduceadualsystemofastronomy? Thestarscanbenearordistant,accordingasweneedthem. Doyousupposeourmathematiciansareunequaltothat? Haveyouforgottendoublethink?’ 

           Winstonshrankbackuponthebed. Whateverhesaid,theswiftanswercrushedhimlikeabludgeon. Andyetheknew,heKNEW,thathewasintheright. Thebeliefthatnothingexistsoutsideyourownmind—surelytheremustbesomewayofdemonstratingthatitwasfalse? Haditnotbeenexposedlongagoasafallacy? Therewasevenanameforit,whichhehadforgotten. AfaintsmiletwitchedthecornersofO’Brien’smouthashelookeddownathim. 

           ‘Itoldyou,Winston,’hesaid,‘thatmetaphysicsisnotyourstrongpoint. Thewordyouaretryingtothinkofissolipsism. Butyouaremistaken. Thisisnotsolipsism. Collectivesolipsism,ifyoulike. Butthatisadifferentthing:infact,theoppositething. Allthisisadigression,’headdedinadifferenttone. ‘Therealpower,thepowerwehavetofightfornightandday,isnotpoweroverthings,butovermen.’ Hepaused,andforamomentassumedagainhisairofaschoolmasterquestioningapromisingpupil: ‘Howdoesonemanasserthispoweroveranother,Winston?’