
audiobook
The Dale Memorial Lectures, 1922.
PREFACE
CIVILIZATION AND ETHICS
CHAPTER I - THE CRISIS IN CIVILIZATION AND ITS SPIRITUAL CAUSE - The material and spiritual elements in civilization
CHAPTER II - THE PROBLEM OF THE OPTIMISTIC WORLD-VIEW - The Western and the Indian conceptions of civilization
CHAPTER III - THE ETHICAL PROBLEM - The difficulties of ethical perception
CHAPTER IV - RELIGIOUS AND PHILOSOPHICAL WORLD-VIEWS - The world-views of the world-religions
CHAPTER V - CIVILIZATION AND ETHICS IN THE GRÆCO-ROMAN PHILOSOPHY - The beginnings: Socrates.
Moral Sayings of Seneca
Moral Sayings of Epictetus
In this series of lectures the author turns a critical eye toward the way Western thought has shaped, and often limited, our sense of civilization. He argues that philosophy has become more a parade of clever arguments than a search for a stable, life‑affirming worldview, leaving our cultural foundations fragmented and insecure. By tracing the shift from early aspirations toward a comprehensive ethics to the modern preoccupation with technical expertise, the work reveals how the very tools meant to guide humanity have become obstacles to genuine progress.
The discussion invites listeners to reconsider the relationship between metaphysics and everyday moral responsibility, urging a revival of the elemental questions that give meaning to work and community. Rather than offering a final solution, it maps the early stages of a renewed inquiry, pointing to emerging signs that philosophy might once again serve as a guide for a coherent civilization. Engaging and thoroughly reasoned, the lecture series sets the stage for a deeper exploration of what a truly serviceable world‑view could look like.
Language
en
Duration
~10 hours (608K characters)
Release date
2025-05-10
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1875–1965
A theologian, physician, philosopher, and celebrated organist, he became one of the twentieth century’s most widely known humanitarians. His idea of “reverence for life” and his medical work in Lambaréné, in present-day Gabon, made him famous around the world.
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