Collected here in a single volume are the most important philosophical writings of Albert Schweitzer, one of the greatest thinkers and humanitarians of our time. Carefully chosen from among his many written works, the selections in this anthology illuminate and amplify Dr. Schweitzer's cardinal principle of belief—a reverence for life. Among the important and revealing works included are “Pilgrimage to Humanity,” which outlines his philosophy of culture, the early influences in his life, and his ideal of world peace; “The Light Within Us,” one of the twentieth century's most significant and beautiful statements of one man's faith in his fellow man; and “Reverence for Life,” which states, with great clarity and conviction, the essence of Schweitzer's wisdom.

Because of his legendary fame as a medical missionary, other equally important and outstanding aspects of Schweitzer's life are not as well known. Readers of this book will realize that Albert Schweitzer was a truly creative thinker, whose concern with the problems of the human spirit and whose methods of expressing this concern have raised him to the stature of one of the world's foremost philosophers.