Albert Schweitzer
Albert Schweitzer
Albert Schweitzer, OMwas a French-German theologian, organist, philosopher, and physician. He was born in the province of Alsace-Lorraine and although that region had been annexed by the German Empire four years earlier, and remained a German possession until 1918, he considered himself French and wrote mostly in French...
NationalityGerman
ProfessionDoctor
Date of Birth14 January 1875
CityKaysersberg, France
CountryGermany
acquire learning
As we acquire more knowledge, things do not become more comprehensible but more mysterious.
behaves clever man
Man is a clever aninmal who behaves like an imbecile.
happiness health poor
Happiness? That's nothing more than health and a poor memory.
concerning duty elementary expressed flow greatest life maintain negative reverence shalt share terms thou
It is our duty to share and maintain life. Reverence concerning all life in the greatest commandment in its most elementary form. Or expressed in negative terms : Thou shalt not kill. We take this prohibition so lightly, thoughtlessly plucking a flow
alive console dark ideas ideology inhumanity played reason
No one has ever come back from the other world. I can't console you, but one thing I can tell you, as long as my ideas are alive I will be alive. We live in a dark frightening age. One reason for this is the part played by the ideology of inhumanity
custom humanity inherited protected roots strong succumb time
Most of it comes from thoughtlessness or inherited habit. The roots of cruelty, therefore, are not so strong as widespread. But the time must come where in humanity protected by custom and thoughtlessness will succumb before humanity championed by th
thankful gratitude expression
Train yourself never to put off the word or action for the expression of gratitude.
life spiritual thinking
Renunciation of thinking is a declaration of spiritual bankruptcy. - Out of My Life and Thoughts.
based life religion respect true
Any religion or philosophy, which is not based on a respect for life is not a true religion or philosophy.
accept anyone expect few good people proposes roll stones
Anyone who proposes to do good must not expect people to roll stones out of their way, but must accept their lot calmly, even if people roll a few stones upon it
spiritual jesus mistake
The mistake made by all previous systems of ethics has been the failure to recognize that life as such is the mysterious value with which they have to deal. All spiritual life meets us within natural life. Reverence for life, therefore, is applied to natural life and spiritual life alike. In the parable of Jesus, the shepherd saves not merely the soul of the lost sheep but the whole animal. The stronger the reverence for natural life, the stronger grows also that for spiritual life.
arrive native profound simplicity
From native simplicity we arrive at more profound simplicity.
granted work worth
It is not always granted to the sower to live to see the harvest. All work that is worth anything is done in faith.
blown deepest flame goes human owes rekindled thankful
Sometimes our light goes out but is blown into flame by another human being. Each of us owes deepest thanks to those who have rekindled this light.