Reverence for Life

The Ethics of Albert Schweitzer for the Twenty-First Century

Albert Schweitzer

• Publisher: Philosophical Library/Open Road
• Year: 2014
• eBook ISBN:
  9781497675742
• Topic: Philosophy
• Subtopic: Ethics & Moral Philosophy

This "little gem of a book" shares the Nobel laureate's profound insights on ethics, ecology, human rights, and more (Jane Goodall).
 
The theologian and humanitarian Albert Schweitzer dedicated his life to the betterment of mankind. In 1952, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for his philosophy of Reverence for Life—and for the many ways he put that philosophy into action. This volume gathers together his thoughts on this profound and deeply influential concept.
 
Based on a fundamental respect and compassion for all living things, Schweitzer's philosophy sought to reconcile the conflicting drives of egoism and altruism. He applied this ethical perspective to a host of topics, from war and peace to arts, animal rights, and forming a global community.
 
Reverence for Life draws on Schweitzer's diverse writings across decades, including excerpts from previously unpublished letters to John F. Kennedy, Norman Cousins, Bertrand Russell, and others. A foreword by former US Ambassador, Roger Gamble, an introduction by the editor, Harold E. Robles, and a brief biographical sketch of Schweitzer's life round out this essential volume.
 

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Introductory Note
• Contents
• Feeling for Animal Life
• Respect for Life
• Mutual Knowledge
• Riddles of Existence
• The Meaning of Philosophy
• Goethe
• The Sanctuary of Thought
• Religion Is Not a Force
• When Thinking Was Religious
• What Do I Think?
• A New Ethical System Needed
• Reverence for Life
• Human Awareness
• The Goal of True Thought
• The Only Way to Save Ourselves
• Among the Africans
• The Will to Live
• Acknowledgment
• Copyright Page