Education, the great mumbo jumbo and fraud of the age purports to equip us to live and is prescribed as a universal remedy for everything from juvenile delinquency to premature senility.
Malcolm MuggeridgeRead
This life in us; however low it flickers or fiercely burns, is still a divine flame which no man dare presume to put out, be his motives never so humane and enlightened; To suppose otherwise is to countenance a death-wish; Either life is always and in all circumstances sacred, or intrinsically of no account; it is inconceivable that it should be in some cases the one, and in some the other.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Life is inherently valuable and should be respected in all circumstances.
Malcolm Muggeridge emphasizes the sacredness of life, arguing that it possesses an intrinsic value that must not be undermined by external circumstances or motives, no matter how noble they may seem. He warns against the idea that life can be deemed less valuable in certain situations, suggesting that such a belief reflects a dangerous mindset that can lead to a disregard for life's sanctity.
Themes
LifeSacredValueIntrinsicPhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
During a discussion on ethics, one might quote this to emphasize the importance of valuing life in all forms.
More from Malcolm Muggeridge
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It was a somber place, haunted by old jokes and lost laughter. Life, as I discovered, holds no more wretched occupation than trying to make the English laugh.
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The only ultimate disaster that can befall us is to feel ourselves at home on this earth.
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All happenings, great and small, are parables whereby God speaks. The art of life is to get the message. To see all that is offered us at the windows of the soul, and to reach out and receive what is offered, this is the art of living.
Malcolm MuggeridgeRead
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