Doublethink

I think one of the most interesting ideas in this book is this principle of doublethink implemented by the Party.  Without doublethink, I believe that the party would fail.  For example, one page 263, O'Brien states as he is torturing Winston that "Power is not a means; it is an end.  ... The object of power is power." 

Now this statement, if you stop and think about, it is absolutely ridiculous.  Power is a completely abstract idea.  Power itself doesn't do anything for you.  Its what you do with that power that people crave.  Power is the ability to influence others to get what you want.  Therefore, power is by definition a means, not an end.

So O'Brien's statement is inherently contradictory.  And yet this idea that power is obtained for power's sake is essential to the basic philosophy of the party.  That is why Big Brother and the Party were established, it is why all the thought criminals were arrested and tortured, and it is why all the people in society live such terrible lives - even the Inner Party members.  In their strive for power, the Inner party members have actually made their lives worse for themselves - we find that they can only enjoy the most basic privileges (wine, butter, etc.).  They have starved themselves all in the name of Power.  The only way to justify these actions is through doublethink.