Man never knows what he wants; he aspires to penetrate mysteries and as soon as he has, wants to re-establish them. Ignorance irritates him and knowledge cloys.
Henri Frederic AmielRead
Civilization is first of all a moral thing. Without truth, respect for duty, love of neighbor, and virtue, everything is destroyed. The morality of a society is alone the basis of civilization.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Civilization is built on moral values, and without them, it collapses.
This quote emphasizes the foundational role of morality in the structure and sustainability of civilization. It suggests that virtues such as truth, duty, love, and respect are essential for a thriving society, and without these principles, civilization loses its meaning and integrity.
Themes
CivilizationMoralityTruthRespectVirtue
In practice
Example use cases
In a keynote speech on social ethics, one might say, 'Remember, civilization is first of all a moral thing.'
More from Henri Frederic Amiel
All quotes →Truth is not only violated by falsehood; it may be equally outraged by silence.
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Any landscape is a condition of the spirit.
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True love is that which ennobles the personality, fortifies the heart, and sanctifies the existence.
Henri Frederic AmielRead
It is by teaching that we teach ourselves, by relating that we observe, by affirming that we examine, by showing that we look, by writing that we think, by pumping that we draw water into the well.
Henri Frederic AmielRead
A man must be able to cut a knot, for everything cannot be untied; he must know how to disengage what is essential from the detail in which it is enwrapped, for everything cannot be equally considered; in a word, he must be able to simplify his duties, his business and his life.
Henri Frederic AmielRead
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