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Reinhold Niebuhr

Reinhold Niebuhr Quotes

Theologian

Reinhold Niebuhr was a prominent American theologian whose work on Christian ethics and social ethics had a profound impact on the 20th century. He was a key figure in theological discourse, particularly for his exploration of the nature of sin and the church's role in society. Niebuhr's theological thought has influenced various Christian denominations and has had a lasting effect on political and social thought.

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All Men Ifs Knows Justice Religious Humans People Thinking Church Democracy Form Social Accepting Christian Giving Groups Nations Political Problem Reason

Famous Reinhold Niebuhr Quotes

“Rationality belongs to the cool observer, but because of the stupidity of the average man, he follows not reason, but faith, and the naive faith requires necessary illusion and emotionally potent oversimplifications which are provided by the myth-maker to keep ordinary person on course.”

People Reason Faith Politics Democracy Society Ignorance Morality Illusion Ethics

Book:Moral Man and Immoral Society: Study in Ethics and Politics

Source: Moral Man and Immoral Society: Study in Ethics and Politics

“A republic properly understood is a sovereignty of justice, in contradistinction to a sovereignty of will.”

Justice Democracy Understood Republic Sovereignty

Author:Reinhold Niebuhr

“Human Beings are just good enough to make democracy possible...just bad enough to make it neccessary.”

Humans Enough Human Beings Democracy Good Enough

Author:Reinhold Niebuhr

“We have, on the whole, more liberty and less equality than Russia has. Russia has less liberty and more equality. Whether democracy should be defined primarily in terms of liberty or equality is a source of unending debate.”

Should Whole Term Liberty Democracy Source Debate Russia Defined Unending

Author:Reinhold Niebuhr

“It is the evil in man that makes democracy necessary, and man's belief in justice that makes democracy possible.”

Men Evil Belief Justice Democracy

Author:Reinhold Niebuhr

“For democracy is a method of finding proximate solutions for insoluble problems.”

Problem Democracy Findings Solutions Method

Book:The Irony of American History

Source: The Irony of American History

“Man's capacity for justice makes democracy possible, but man's inclination to injustice makes democracy necessary.”

“Democracy is finding proximate solutions to insoluble problems.”

Problem Democracy Findings Solutions

Author:Reinhold Niebuhr

“Democracies are indeed slow to make war, but once embarked upon a martial venture are equally slow to make peace and reluctant to make a tolerable, rather than a vindictive, peace.”

War Democracy Venture Reluctant Making Peace Tolerable Vindictive

Author:Reinhold Niebuhr

“Religion is so frequently a source of confusion in political life, and so frequently dangerous to democracy, precisely because it introduces absolutes into the realm of relative values.”

Political Values Democracy Dangerous Source Absolutes Confusion Realms Relative Introducing Political Life Relative Value

Author:Reinhold Niebuhr