Insight into universal nature provides an intellectual delight and sense of freedom that no blows of fate and no evil can destroy.
Alexander Von HumboldtRead
Cruelty to animals is one of the most significant vices of a low and ignoble people. Wherever one notices them, they constitute a sign of ignorance and brutality which cannot be painted over even by all the evidence of wealth and luxury.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Cruelty towards animals reflects a lack of humanity and signifies deeper moral failings in society.
In this quote, Alexander Von Humboldt emphasizes that cruelty to animals is a fundamental indicator of a society's moral decay. He suggests that even in the presence of wealth and luxury, the underlying ignorance and brutality revealed through such cruelty cannot be hidden, serving as a measure of a people's character and ethics.
Themes
CrueltyAnimalsMoralitySocietyIgnoranceBrutality
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech advocating for animal rights, one might quote Humboldt to highlight societal failings.
More from Alexander Von Humboldt
All quotes →Die gefährlichste Weltanschauung ist die Weltanschauung derer, die die Welt nie angeschaut haben. (The most dangerous worldview is the worldview of those who have not viewed the world)
Alexander Von HumboldtRead
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