Charles Albert Gobat
Charles Albert Gobat
Charles Albert Gobatwas a Swiss lawyer, educational administrator, and politician who jointly received the Nobel Peace Prize with Élie Ducommun in 1902 for their leadership of the Permanent International Peace Bureau...
NationalitySwiss
ProfessionLawyer
Date of Birth21 May 1843
CountrySwitzerland
conceived constant fresh hopeless human laugh logic mankind optimistic pessimism political reality regards social true ultimate utopia
It is true that I am not one of those who laugh at utopias. The utopia of today can become the reality of tomorrow. Utopias are conceived by optimistic logic which regards constant social and political progress as the ultimate goal of human endeavor; pessimism would plunge a hopeless mankind into a fresh cataclysm.
citizens compelled force higher obliged
Ordinary citizens are obliged and, if need be, compelled by force to meet their commitments. But let higher obligations of an international order be involved, and governments repudiate them, more often than not with a disdainful shrug of the shoulders.
alienated allow avoided direction highly listen peace persuade probable step voice war
It is highly probable that in most cases, war could be avoided or ended. For discussions allow passion to subside, and to persuade alienated neighbors, or at least one of them, to listen to the voice of a conciliator is a step in the direction of peace.