taken from: orwell's novel 1984 [book]original text:

[...] the essence of oligarchical rule is not father-to-son inheritance, but the persistance of a certain world-view and a certain way of life, imposed by the dead upon the living. a ruling group is a ruling group so long as it can nominate its successors. the party is not concerned with perpetuating its blood but with perpetuating itself. who wields power is not important, provided that the hierarchical structure remains always the same. [...]

about the quoted person:george orwell was the pen name of the English author Eric Arthur Blair who is well-known for his novels 1984 and animal farm.see george orwell for a comprehensive biography.this quote is taken from the 'forbidden' book in 1984, in which is explained how the totalitarian society is built up.