The substance of man cannot be measured by Gross National Product.
E. F. SchumacherRead
The real problems of our planet are not economic or technical, they are philosophical. The philosophy of unbridled materialism is being challenged by events.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights that the fundamental issues facing our world are rooted in philosophical beliefs rather than just economic or technical matters.
E. F. Schumacher emphasizes that the deep-seated problems we encounter globally stem from our philosophical outlook, particularly our relentless pursuit of material wealth. The notion of materialism, which prioritizes possessions over meaningful values, is being questioned and scrutinized in light of the challenges we face. This statement invites us to rethink our priorities and consider the moral and ethical dimensions underpinning our actions.
Themes
PhilosophyMaterialismValuesProblemsChallenges
In practice
Example use cases
In a debate on sustainability, one might quote this to emphasize the need for a shift in mindset.
More from E. F. Schumacher
All quotes →The printing press is either the greatest blessing or the greatest curse of modern times, sometimes one forgets which it is.
E. F. SchumacherRead
By means of trees, wildlife could be conserved, pollution decreased, and the beauty of our landscapes enhanced. This is the way, or at least one of the ways, to spiritual, moral, and cultural regeneration.
E. F. SchumacherRead
We still have to learn how to live peacefully, not only with our fellow men but also with nature and, above all, with those Higher Powers which have made nature and have made us; for, assuredly, we have not come about by accident and certainly have not made ourselves
E. F. SchumacherRead
The heart of the matter, as I see it, is the stark fact that world poverty is primarily a problem of two million villages, and thus a problem of two thousand million villagers.
E. F. SchumacherRead
Economic policies absorb almost the entire attention of government, and at the same time become ever more impotent. The simplest things, which only fifty years ago one could do without difficulty, cannot get done any more. The richer a society, the more impossible it become to do worthwhile things without immediate payoff.
E. F. SchumacherRead
Similar quotes
The type and formula of most schemes of philanthropy or humanitarianism is this: A and B put their heads together to decide what C shall be made to do for D. The radical vice of all these schemes, from a sociological point of view, is that C is not allowed a voice in the matter, and his position, character, and interests, as well as the ultimate effects on society through C's interests, are entirely overlooked. I call C the Forgotten Man.
William Graham SumnerRead
We live in oppressive times. We have, as a nation, become our own thought police; but instead of calling the process by which we limit our expression of dissent and wonder ‘censorship,’ we call it ‘concern for commercial viability.
David MametRead
He was a degenerate gambler. That is, a man who gambled simply to gamble and must lose. As a hero who goes to war must die. Show me a gambler and I'll show you a loser, show me a hero and I'll show you a corpse.
Mario PuzoRead
The action required to sustain human life is primarily intellectual; everything man needs has to be discovered by his mind and produced by his effort.
Ayn RandRead
If they would rather die, . . . they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population.
Charles DickensRead
They that know no evil will suspect none.
Ben JonsonRead