To sacrifice the moral to the physical, as is done in these days, is to sacrifice reality for a shadow.
AFRIKAN SPIRThe natural sense of commiseration (or “sympathy”, – “commisération”, Fr.) for one’s fellow men – compassion, and the influence of education, by association of ideas (“par l’association d’idées”, Fr.) – habit.
More Afrikan Spir Quotes
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It is not on the ruin of liberty that we may (in the future… – “pourra”, Fr.) build justice.
AFRIKAN SPIR -
The distinction between right and wrong (“la distinction du bien et du mal”, Fr.), is nothing else than their unyielding (or implacable) opposition.
AFRIKAN SPIR -
So many forces and resources would become available if States, aware (or conscious) of their true (or real) mission, would want to get on (or agree) to abolish every politics aiming at (“visant à”, Fr.) expansion or hegemony.
AFRIKAN SPIR -
Up to here, in general, we have mainly stuffed the brain of the young people with a indigestible multitude of varios notions, without thinking about enough of the prime necessity to form their character.
AFRIKAN SPIR -
What is the use for a man to have at his disposal a large field of action, if within himself he remains confine to the narrow limits of his individuality.
AFRIKAN SPIR -
The brute appears (or come forward, “apparait”, Fr.) and rule over (or dominate), stifling every (“toute”, Fr.) noble, generous impulse; it is then the ruin (or downfall or decline) of any humanity in man.
AFRIKAN SPIR -
Short-sighted (à courte vue”, Fr.) interests, which, when all is said and done, are also prejudicial (or detrimental, or harmful) to those very same that pursue them?
AFRIKAN SPIR -
Deep down, everything boils down (“au fond tout se ramène”, Fr.) to the following simple question; Do we really want justice and the realization in this world of higher principles, or else do we want to serve selfish.
AFRIKAN SPIR -
Thus the moral consciousness is an innate and intimate revelation of the absolute, which goes beyond (or goes pass, or exceed) every empirical data (or given information).
AFRIKAN SPIR -
Besides the progress of industry and technique, we see a growing discontent among the masses; we see, besides the expansion (“expansion,”, Fr.) of instruction, distrust and hatred expanding among nations (“s’étendre la méfiance et la haine entre,” Fr.).
AFRIKAN SPIR -
The supreme blossoming of character lies (or reside) in renounciation (or renuncement) and abnegation of self (“abnégation de soi”, Fr.)
AFRIKAN SPIR -
Men who have sacrifice their well-being, and even their lives, for the cause of truth or the public good, are, from an empirical point of view – which scorn (“fait fi”, Fr.) virtue and altruism – regarded as insane or fools; but, from a moral standpoint, they are heros who do honour (“qui honorent”, Fr.) humanity.
AFRIKAN SPIR -
In life we only try to produce, to win, and enjoy the more we can; in science, to discoverand invent the more we can; in religion, to dominate (or rule over) on the greatest number of people we can; whereas the forming of the character.
AFRIKAN SPIR -
Moral was a principle of inner life, whereas in our days, most of the time one is content to adhere to an official moral, that we recognize in theory, but that one does not care to put into practice.
AFRIKAN SPIR -
If the present civilisation does not acquire some stable moral fondations (“bases morales stables”, Fr.), its existence will hardly be more assured than that of the civilisations that have preceeded it, and which have fallen (or collapse, or failed).
AFRIKAN SPIR