Selections from “Reverence for Life” by Albert Schweitzer (vegetarian): Peace and Kindness, Part 1 of 2

In 1952 Albert Schweitzer was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for both his philosophy and his tireless humanitarian works. Today, it is an honor to present excerpts from his Nobel Peace Prize speech as well as other writings on peace as recorded in the book, “Albert Schweitzer: Reverence for Life.”

“Thus, if we make a beginning in the liquidation of the terrible war behind us, some measure of trust may arise among nations.”

“Today there is an absence of thinking which is characterized by a contempt for life. We waged war for questions which, through reason, might have been solved. No one won. The war killed millions of men, brought suffering to millions of men, and brought suffering and death to millions of innocent animals. Why? Because we did not possess the highest rationality of reverence for life. And because we do not yet possess this, every people is afraid of every other, and each causes fear to the others. We are mentally afflicted one for another because we are lacking in rationality. There is no other remedy than reverence for life, and at that, we must arrive.”

“It is by this very destruction and harm [to] other life that we develop feelings of guilt. As ethical human beings, we must constantly strive to escape from this need to destroy – as much as we possibly can. We must try to demonstrate the essential worth of life by doing all we can to alleviate suffering.”