It is the fate of every truth to be an object of ridicule when it is first acclaimed. It was once considered foolish to suppose that black men were really human beings and ought to be treated as such. What was once foolish has now become a recognized truth. Today it is considered as exaggeration to proclaim constant respect for every form of life as being the serious demand of a rational ethic. But the time is coming when people will be amazed that the human race existed so long before it recognized that thoughtless injury to life is incompatible with real ethics. Ethics is in its unqualified form extended responsibility to everything that has life.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Truth often faces ridicule before acceptance, as seen with human rights and now extending to all life. Ethics ultimately means taking responsibility for every living being.
- In plain terms
- New truths get mocked at first, but later become accepted facts we must live by.
- What can you take from it?
- Ethics requires respecting all life, not just humans.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What truths do you ridicule now?
- How far does your ethical responsibility extend?
Another view
Some may argue not all life forms deserve equal ethical consideration.
More from Albert Schweitzer
The thinking man must oppose all cruel customs no matter how deeply rooted in tradition and surrounded by a halo. When we have a choice, we must avoid bringing…
Permalink to quote #29 As long as I can remember, I have suffered because of the great misery I saw in the world. I never really knew the artless, youthful joy of living, and I belie…
Permalink to quote #31 I used to suffer particularly because the poor animals must endure so much pain and want. The sight of an old, limping horse being dragged along by one man whi…
Permalink to quote #32
Related quotes
The practical implication is that one's goal is to live each moment with freedom, honesty and responsibility.
Rollo MayRollo May quote #14 What then is the place and role of the writer in this cruel, dynamic, split world on the brink of its ten destructions? After all we have nothing to do with le…
Alexander SolzhenitsynAlexander Solzhenitsyn quote #31 Follow the three Rs: Respect for self, Respect for others and Responsibility for all your actions.
Tenzin GyatsoTenzin Gyatso quote #81