The Straight Way of Faith

Albert Schweitzer

Albert Schweitzer (14 January 1875 – 4 September 1965) was a German philosopher, philanthropist, physician, theologian, missionary, and musicologist who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1952.

—Albert Schweitzer [Biographical introduction on Nobel prize website].

Additional Albert Schweitzer Quotes

“If rational thought thinks itself out to a conclusion, it arrives at something non-rational which, nevertheless, is a necessity of thought. This is the paradox that dominates our spiritual life. If we try to get on without this non-rational element, there result views of the world and of life which have neither vitality nor value.”

—Albert Schweitzer [Kulturphilosophie (1923), Vol. 2 : Civilization and Ethics].

“The ethic of reverence for life constrains all, in whatever walk of life they may find themselves, to busy themselves intimately with all the human and vital processes which are being played out around them, and to give themselves as men to the man who needs human help and sympathy…  The destiny of men has to fulfill itself in a thousand ways, so that goodness may be actualized. What every individual has to contribute remains his own secret. But we must all mutually share in the knowledge that our existence only attains its true value when we have experienced in ourselves the truth of the declaration: ‘He who loses his life shall find it.’

—Albert Schweitzer [The Spiritual Life (1947)] p. 267.

“The deeper we look into nature, the more we recognize that it is full of life, and the more profoundly we know that all life is a secret and that we are united with all life that is in nature. Man can no longer live for himself alone. We realize that all life is valuable, and that we are united to all this life. From this knowledge comes our spiritual relationship to the universe.”

—Albert Schweitzer [The Spiritual Life (1947)] p. 248.

“If there is anything I have learned about men and women it is that there is a deeper spirit of altruism than is ever evident. Just as the rivers we see are minor compared to the underground streams, so, too, the idealism that is visible is minor compared to what people carry in their hearts unreleased or scarcely released. Humankind is waiting and longing for those who can accomplish the task of untying what is knotted, and bringing these underground waters to the surface.”

—Albert Schweitzer [Widely attributed to Albert Schweitzer, however, actual attribution of this quote has yet to be determined – akd].