This is the reality of nuclear weapons: they may trigger a world war; a war which, unlike previous ones, destroys all of civilization.
Joseph RotblatRead
Indeed, the whole human species is endangered, by nuclear weapons or by other means of wholesale destruction which further advances in science are likely to produce.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote warns about the existential threats posed by scientific advancements, particularly nuclear weapons.
Joseph Rotblat emphasizes the grave dangers humanity faces due to the capabilities of modern science, particularly in the realm of nuclear weapons and other forms of mass destruction. He highlights the ethical responsibility to consider the implications of technological advancements on the survival of the human species, urging a reflective approach to science that prioritizes safety and peace over destruction.
Themes
NuclearDestructionScienceHumanityDanger
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech on global security, one might reference this quote to highlight the importance of nuclear disarmament.
More from Joseph Rotblat
All quotes βBut the first the general public learned about the discovery was the news of the destruction of Hiroshima by the atom bomb. A splendid achievement of science and technology had turned malign. Science became identified with death and destruction.
Joseph RotblatRead
If the militarily most powerful and least threatened states need nuclear weapons for their security, how can one deny such security to countries that are truly insecure? The present nuclear policy is a recipe for proliferation. It is a policy for disaster.
Joseph RotblatRead
The quest for a war-free world has a basic purpose: survival. But if in the process we learn how to achieve it by love rather than by fear, by kindness rather than by compulsion; if in the process we learn to combine the essential with the enjoyable, the expedient with the benevolent, the practical with the beautiful, this will be an extra incentive to embark on this great task.
Joseph RotblatRead
Technology is driving us together. In many ways we are becoming like one family. With the global threats resulting from science and technology, the whole of humankind now needs protection. We have to extend our loyalty to the whole of the human race.
Joseph RotblatRead
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