[1] The slogan expresses the basic principles of the Ba'ath Party, reflecting its revolutionary, Arab socialist, and pan-Arabist doctrine.
[2] The slogan was coined by Michel Aflaq, who believed in a necessary revolutionary transformation of Arab society toward the goals of unity, freedom, and socialism.
"[6] Both Michel Aflaq and Salah al-Din al-Bitar rejected the communist interpretation of socialism, deeming it "unsuitable to the Arabs."
They argued that Arab socialism extended beyond basic material needs, such as food, shelter, and clothing, emphasizing the liberation of human potential and creativity.
While Zaki al-Arsuzi put freedom first, Michel Aflaq argued that all three were important, but unity had "priority and greater moral weight and the ranks of the Ba'ath cannot ignore that fact."