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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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Famous Reinhold Niebuhr Quotes

“Adam Smith's was a real universalism in intent. Laissez Faire was intended to establish a world community as well as a natural harmony of interests within each nation... But the "children of darkness" were able to make good use of his creed. A dogma which was intended to guarantee the economic freedom of the individual became the "ideology" of vast corporate structures of a later period of capitalism, used by them, and still used, to prevent a proper political control of their power.”

“Liberalism makes this mistake in regard to private property and Marxism makes it in regard to socialized property... The Marxist illusion is partly derived from a romantic conception of human nature... It assumes that the socialization of property will eliminate human egotism... The development of a managerial class in Russia, combing economic with political power, is an historic refutation of the Marxist theory.”

“All men are naturally included to obscure the morally ambiguous element in their political cause by investing it with religious sanctity.”

Men Political Causes Religious Elements Investing Obscure Sanctity Ambiguous

Book:Love and Justice: Selections from the Shorter Writings of Reinhold Niebuhr

Source: Love and Justice: Selections from the Shorter Writings of Reinhold Niebuhr

“The separation of church and state is necessary partly because if religion is good then the state shouldn't interfere with the religious vision or with the religious prophet. There must be a realm of truth beyond political competence, that's why there must be a separation of churches, but if religion is bad and a bad religion is one that gives an ultimate sanctity to some particular cause. Then religion mustn't interfere with the state - so one of the basic Democratic principles as we know it in America is the separation of church and state.”

“The stupidity of the average man will permit the oligarch, whether economic or political, to hide his real purposes from the scrutiny of his fellows and to withdraw his activities from effective control. Since it is impossible to count on enough moral goodwill among those who possess irresponsible power to sacrifice it for the good of the whole, it must be destroyed by coercive methods and these will always run the peril of introducing new forms of injustice in place of those abolished.”

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

“There must be a realm of truth beyond political competence, that's why there must be a separation of churches, but if religion is bad and a bad religion is one that gives an ultimate sanctity to some particular cause.”

Ifs Giving Political Causes Church Particular Truth Is Ultimate Separation Realms Competence Sanctity

Author:Reinhold Niebuhr

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

“There are historic situations in which refusal to defend the inheritance of a civilization, however imperfect, against tyranny and aggression may result in consequences even worse than war.”

May War Political Results Situation Civilization Consequence Tyranny Imperfect Aggression Historic Inheritance Refusal

Book:Love and Justice: Selections from the Shorter Writings of Reinhold Niebuhr

Source: Love and Justice: Selections from the Shorter Writings of 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