| Abstract |
ABSTRACT
In the twentieth century, the ambivalence of scientific and technical progress became more and more apparent. The abuse of modern technology against man was obvious not only in phenomena such as Auschwitz and Hiroshima. The modern civilization which seemed to be peaceful and philanthropic at first also started to turn against human beings. Towards the end of the twentieth century, a common awareness arose that the question of progress is at its core an ethical question. By the end of the First World War, Albert Schweitzer drew attention to this matter. At the beginning of the twenty-first century, an increasing number of thinkers searching for an appropriate answer to the challenges of the present age are referring to Schweitzer’s ethics of reverence for life. It seems that only now the depth of Schweitzer’s thought is understood. He is considered by many to be a precursor of bioethics, a seeker, and an architect of a new moral attitude of humans towards life. This article throws light on his ethics of reverence for life, his ideas for restoration of civilization, evaluation of reverence for life and its current value in the modern society.
Key words:
Reverence, Life, Albert Schweitzer, Ethics, Medicine |
