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Catholicism Quote by Emmanuel Mounier

“Personalism therefore includes among its leading ideas, the affirmation of the unity of mankind, both in space and time, which was foreshadowed by certain schools of thought in the latter days of antiquity and confirmed in the Judeo-Christian tradition. For the Christian there are neither citizens…” quote by Emmanuel Mounier
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““Personalism therefore includes among its leading ideas, the affirmation of the unity of mankind, both in space and time, which was foreshadowed by certain schools of thought in the latter days of antiquity and confirmed in the Judeo-Christian tradition. For the Christian there are neither citizens nor barbarians, neither bond nor free, neither Jew nor gentile, neither white, black or yellow, but only men created in the image of God and called to salvation in Christ. The conception of a human race with a collective history and destiny, from which no individual destiny can be separated, is one of the sovereign ideas of the Fathers of the Church. In a secularised form, this is the animating principle of eighteenth century cosmopolitanism, and later of Marxism. It is flatly opposed to the ideas of absolute discontinuity between free spirits (as in Sartre) or between civilizations (in Malraux or Frobenius). It is against every form of racialism or of caste, against the ‘elimination of the abnormal’ , the contempt of the foreigner, against the totalitarians’ denigration of political adversaries—in short, it is altogether against the fabrication of scapegoats. Any man, however different, or even degraded, remains a man, for whom we ought to make a human way of life possible.””

Emmanuel Mounier

About This Quote

Source Book: Personalism and the Human Person, Emmanuel Mounier, 1939

Human unity transcends divisions; every person deserves dignity and a shared destiny, opposing racism, caste, and scapegoating.

In simple terms: All people are equal and share a common fate.

Key Takeaway

Promote universal human dignity.

Themes

equality human rights solidarity

Mood

reflective serious

Type

philosophical ethical

When to use this quote

  • education reform
  • policy making
  • community building
  • interfaith dialogue

Key Concepts

personalism cosmopolitanism ethical philosophy

Questions to Reflect On

  • What practical steps can reduce systemic discrimination?
  • How can societies balance individual freedom with collective responsibility?
A Different Perspective

Implementation can be hindered by entrenched power structures and cultural biases.

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