We do not believe in the most obvious and facile deduction: that man is fundamentally brutal, egoistic and stupid in his conduct once every civilized institution is taken away, and that the Häftling is consequently nothing but a man without inhibitions. We believe, rather, that the only conclusion to be drawn is that in the […]
Entries Tagged as 'humanity'
The Two Ways – “If This Is A Man” – Primo Levi
April 15th, 2012 · Comments Off on The Two Ways – “If This Is A Man” – Primo Levi · Genocide, Humanism, Philosophy
The Hierarchy of Pain – “If This Is A Man” – Primo Levi
April 15th, 2012 · Comments Off on The Hierarchy of Pain – “If This Is A Man” – Primo Levi · Humanism, Sociology
For human nature is such that grief and pain — even simultaneously suffered — do not add up as a whole in our consciousness, but hide, the lesser behind the greater, according to a definite law of perspective. It is providential and is our means of surviving in the camp. And this is the reason […]
Tags:humanity·Psychology·relativity
Not to Begin to Die – “If This Is A Man” – Primo Levi
April 14th, 2012 · Comments Off on Not to Begin to Die – “If This Is A Man” – Primo Levi · Genocide, Humanism, Philosophy
precisely because the Lager was a great machine to reduce us to beasts, we must not become beasts; that even in this place one can survive, and therefore one must want to survive, to tell the story, to bear witness; and that to survive we must force ourselves to save at least the skeleton, the […]
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The Horror! – “The Heart of Darkness” – Joseph Conrad
January 25th, 2012 · Comments Off on The Horror! – “The Heart of Darkness” – Joseph Conrad · Morality, Philosophy, Prose, Quotes, Writing
I think the knowledge came to him at last — only at the very last. But the wilderness had found him out early, and had taken on him a terrible vengeance for the fantastic invasion. I think it had whispered to him things about himself which he did not know, things of which he had […]
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Tags:Evil·Human condition·Human Nature·humanity·morality·philosophy
The Mind of Man is Capable of Anything – “The Heart of Darkness” – Joseph Conrad
January 25th, 2012 · Comments Off on The Mind of Man is Capable of Anything – “The Heart of Darkness” – Joseph Conrad · History, Human Rights, Morality, Philosophy
The earth seemed unearthly. We are accustomed to look upon the shackled form of a conquered monster, but there — there you could look at a thing monstrous and free. It was unearthly, and the men were, — No, they were not inhuman. Well, you know, that was the worst of it — this suspicion […]
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Tags:Evil·Human condition·Human Nature·humanity·morality·philosophy