Albert Schweitzer, the French-German theologian, organist, and physician, has had a profound influence on me, second only to the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Schweitzer’s teachings, particularly his principle of “Ehrfurcht vor dem Leben” (Reverence for Life), are not as widely known or understood as they should be. Many who recognize his name or ideas haven’t actually engaged with his work, and even fewer have put his teachings into practice. I believe that truly understanding Schweitzer’s ideas can fundamentally alter one’s perspective, making it impossible to return to previous ways of thinking.
Schweitzer’s body of work challenged and reshaped my worldview, and I consider his contributions to be of immense importance to humanity. His writings have the power to transform anyone who seriously engages with them. It baffles me that his teachings are not part of educational curricula around the world. His ethical philosophy deserves to be taught as a standalone subject. However, that concern is beyond the scope of this blog post.
My aim here is not to present my own philosophy, but rather to offer my interpretation of Schweitzer’s ideas. To truly grasp these insights, I encourage you to read Schweitzer himself, rather than relying on secondary interpretations like mine. I am merely paraphrasing some of his core principles, without the religious context he often included. While Schweitzer’s philosophy was grounded in Christianity, I believe these teachings are universally applicable and do not require a religious label. Christianity was simply the lens through which Schweitzer viewed the world, just as I approach his ideas from a secular perspective.
The principles I will share are based on my understanding and memory, so they may not fully capture the depth, hierarchy, or sequential progression of Schweitzer’s original arguments.
At the end of this post, after discussing Schweitzer’s principles, I will also share some of my personal reflections.
Reverence for All Life:
The Main Principles
1. The Preciousness and Universal Value of Life
- All life, regardless of species or form, holds inherent value. Life is life, whether human, animal, or plant, and it should be respected and treated with reverence.
2. Human Judgment and its Arbitrary Nature
- Humans tend to categorize life based on personal biases, such as kinship, familiarity, or utility. These judgments—valuing one life over another—are arbitrary and lack universal validity.
- Creatures that become a nuisance, we are inclined to eliminate them.
3. Lack of Empathy
- This tendency to prioritize certain creatures over others reveals a lack of empathy. We sympathize with those that align with human standards, disregarding the inherent value of other life forms.
- We place a high value on intelligence and self-awareness, so creatures (including plants) that lack these traits often face significant disadvantages in our view.
4. The Cycle of Life and the Moral Dilemma
- Life depends on consuming other life, which creates a moral challenge. The necessity of taking life for survival underscores the complexity of ethical decision-making.
- Life depends on consuming other life forms. Regardless of our love for nature, we must take life to sustain ourselves. Schweitzer recognized this reality. Whether eating animals or plants, the principle remains the same: both are living beings. If one chooses vegetarianism to avoid harming life, it’s worth reconsidering this reasoning.
5. The Subjectivity of Human Decisions
- The decision to spare one life and take another is ultimately subjective. These choices, while seeming logical to humans, are based on personal or cultural bias rather than objective truths. Schweitzer highlighted this paradox when he saved a human life while simultaneously destroying countless bacterial life forms.
6. The Moral Obligation to Protect Life
- Despite our subjective judgments, we have an ethical duty to protect life. Reverence for life means avoiding harm wherever possible, and nurturing life in all its forms. Life is inherently precious, and we should get out of our own way so as to preserve it rather than destroy it.
7. Active Ethical Responsibility
- Reverence for life goes beyond merely avoiding harm. It requires actively working to improve the well-being of all living creatures, intervening when necessary to protect life from harm.
- This principle relates and builds upon the previous one. To give an example, we should rescue a (harmless) drowning spider and place it gently in a safe environment, provided that doing so does not endanger our own lives.
8. Education and Tolerance
- Education plays a crucial role in fostering empathy and reverence for life. Practicing tolerance and awareness in everyday actions strengthens respect for all life.
- Albert Schweitzer, a distinguished organist, practiced his own principles. On one occasion, while playing at his home in Lambaréné, he refrained from pressing the keys that ants had crossed. This example of tolerance reminds us to be mindful of our actions and avoid causing unnecessary harm to all forms of life.
9. Compassion and the Universal Equality of Life
- All life, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, shares the same source. We must cultivate compassion for every form of life, recognizing the inherent equality and value of all creatures.
- Shifting away from a human-centered perspective is undoubtedly challenging. However, once this realization is achieved, it becomes clear that humans and silverfish, for example, share a common source: life itself.
Concluding Reflections:
I am skeptical of Albert Schweitzer’s optimism that humanity will evolve to treat life with reverence. My own experiences have shown me many instances of cruelty and indifference towards other life forms.
For example, people who claim to love animals may be outraged by the consumption of dogs in Korea while accepting the slaughter of cattle in their own country. Similarly, the practice of cutting down trees for Christmas, even if they are claimed to regrow quickly, or destroying trees out of superstition, reflects a disregard for individual life.
Schweitzer observed that enjoying cut flowers is akin to savoring death, as they are in the process of dying. All living beings—humans, animals, plants, and fungi—share a common desire to live and avoid having their lives taken.
As humans, we have a responsibility to minimize harm. While I strive to avoid causing unnecessary harm, I recognize that even daily activities, like walking, inevitably impact life. Nonetheless, we should always seek alternatives and choose options that reduce suffering whenever possible.