02985cam a22003613u 4500 75958 UtSlPG 20260610134746.0 m cr n 260607r20251923utu|||||o|||||||||||||| d UtSlPG en iso639-1 CB Schweitzer, Albert, 1875-1965 Verfall und wiederaufbau der kultur. English The decay and the restoration of civilization Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg, 2025 1 online resource : multiple file formats text txt rdacontent computer c rdamedia online resource cr rdacarrier Dale memorial lectures, 1922 [I] Release date is 2025-04-25 Actonian Press “The Decay and the Restoration of Civilization: The Philosophy of Civilization” by Albert Schweitzer is a philosophical treatise written in the early 20th century. The work examines the crisis facing modern society, arguing that civilization has become hollowed out by a neglect of ethical foundations and an overemphasis on material, historical, and technical progress. Schweitzer’s central concern appears to be how genuine civilization is fundamentally rooted in ethics, and he contends that only by re-establishing robust ethical principles can society restore meaning and hope to both individuals and nations. The opening of this treatise sets forth Schweitzer’s perspective that civilization is in deep crisis, not merely due to recent catastrophes like war, but because of a long-standing neglect of foundational ethical thinking. He critiques modern philosophy for abandoning its role as the guide to civilization's development, instead becoming scholastic, fragmented, and disconnected from pressing moral questions. Schweitzer traces how historical, economic, and organizational changes have diminished individual freedom, self-reflection, and humanity, leading to over-specialization, loss of independent moral judgment, and the subjugation of individual personality to mass opinion and institutional structures. He insists that true civilization demands personal ethics, genuine spirituality, and individual transformation, arguing that without these, progress in institutions and material domains is empty or even destructive. The first chapters lay the groundwork for his central thesis: civilization’s restoration hinges on a revival of thoughtful, ethical commitment at both the individual and collective levels. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Originally published: London: A. & C. Black, Ltd., 1923 Civilization -- History Campion, C. T. (Charles Thomas), 1861-1938 Dale memorial lectures, 1922 [I] https://archive.org/details/p1decayrestorati00schwuoft/page/n7/mode/2up https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/75958 116683 116683