Albert Schweitzer 1875-1965 was a polymath from Alsace. Before the age of 30, he had achieved international academic fame in a wide range of subjects. Schweitzer was driven by an awareness of suffering and a need to pay something back for his gifts and happy childhood. In his twenties he decided that, at the age of 30, he would study medicine, and then go out to Africa to work as a doctor. For the next 50 years, he financed and ran a hospital for Africans.
Schweitzer developed the principle of Reverence for Life. In 1952, now world-famous, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. However, by the time Schweitzer died, attitudes had changed and admiration for his humanity had diminished. His hospital was also seen as outdated compared with modern hospitals.
In this talk, Galen Bartholomew will review Schweitzer’s life, suggesting that he should be seen as a man of his time, and that his philosophy still has relevance today.
Two-course lunch is served at 1.00 pm (special diets can be accommodated) but arrive early to get a drink and enjoy the lovely house and gardens. The talk will commence about 2.00 pm.
