Upliftment Through Ethics: Selections from “The Philosophy of Civilization and Ethics” by the Reverend Dr. Albert Schweitzer (vegetarian), Part 1 of 2

We now present excerpts from “The Philosophy of Civilization and Ethics” by the Reverend Dr. Albert Schweitzer (vegetarian). This work explores how a strong and meaningful worldview that upholds ethical values can guide us in rebuilding and improving our society.

Chapter 1 The Crisis in Civilization and its Spiritual Cause

“For decades we have been accustoming ourselves increasingly to measure with relative ethical standards, and no longer to allow ethics to have their say in all questions alike. We regard this renunciation of consistent ethical judgment as an advance in practicality. But our world- and life-affirmation also have become shaky. The modern man no longer feels under any compulsion to think about and to will ideals of progress. To a large extent he has come to terms with actuality. He is much more resigned than he admits to himself, and in one respect he is even outspokenly pessimistic. For he really no longer believes in the spiritual and ethical progress of men and of mankind, which is nevertheless the essential element in civilization. […]

If we succeed in re-establishing a world-view in which world- and life-affirmation is given in convincing fashion, we shall master the decay of civilization which is in progress, and reach again a true and living civilization. Otherwise we are condemned to see the wreck of all attempts to arrest the degeneration. Only when the truth that renewal of civilization can only come by a renewal of our outlook on life becomes a universal conviction, and when a new longing for a world-view sets in, shall we find ourselves on the right path. […]

Similarly, we have to stir up the men of today to elementary meditation upon what man is in the world, and what he wants to make of his life. Only when they are impressed once more with the necessity of giving meaning and value to their existence, and thus come once more to hunger and thirst for a satisfying world-view, are the preliminaries given for a spiritual condition in which we again become capable of civilization. […]”