A Treasury of Albert Schweitzer

by Albert Schweitzer

An anthology of the philosophical writings by one of the finest humanitarians and thinkers of the twentieth century includes essays on nature, the mystery of life, the will to live, respect for life, and the work of such artists as Bach and Goethe.

Genres: Philosophy

349 pages, Hardcover

First published January 28, 1965

About the author

Albert Schweitzer, M.D., OM, was an Alsatian theologian, musician, philosopher, and physician. He was born in Kaisersberg in Alsace-Lorraine, a Germanophone region which the German Empire returned to France after World War I. Schweitzer challenged both the secular view of historical Jesus current at his time and the traditional Christian view, depicting a Jesus who expected the imminent end of the world. He received the 1952 Nobel Peace Prize in 1953 for his philosophy of "reverence for life", expressed in many ways, but most famously in founding and sustaining the Lambaréné Hospital in Gabon, west central Africa.

Reviews

[Bobby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was introduced to Albert Schweitzer via quotes on animal rights websites (eg. "Until he extends his circle of compassion to include all living things, man will not himself find peace") and, having learned a little about this theologian, organist, philosopher, physician, and humanitarian, wanted to read more. This is my introduction. There are a lot of pages of the 341 dedicated to his "reverence for life" outlook, his theories about those with the "will to live," there are also many pages dedicated to his thoughts on Goethe, Africa, Bach, Kant, and more. It seems to me that this is a great introduction into the thought & perspective of a very diverse man. And it spends enough time with his humanitarian thought to make it worthwhile for those who heard of Schweitzer the same way that I did.