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End of time Quote by Maurice Blanchot

“As the German expression has it, the last judgement is the youngest day, and it is a day surpassing all days. Not that judgement is reserved for the end of time. On the contrary, justice won't wait; it is to be done at every instant, to be realized all the time, and studied also (it is to be…” quote by Maurice Blanchot
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““As the German expression has it, the last judgement is the youngest day, and it is a day surpassing all days. Not that judgement is reserved for the end of time. On the contrary, justice won't wait; it is to be done at every instant, to be realized all the time, and studied also (it is to be learned). Every just act (are there any?) makes of its day the last day or - as Kafka said - the very last: a dat no longer situated in the ordinary succession of days but one that makes of the most commonplace ordinary, the extraordinary. He who has been the contemporary of the camps if forever a survivor: death will not make him die.””

Maurice Blanchot

About This Quote

Source Essay: “The Last Judgment” in The Infinite Conversation, 1970

Justice is an ongoing, immediate act; each just deed transforms ordinary time into something extraordinary, making every day a potential final judgment.

In simple terms: Justice must happen now, not later.

Key Takeaway

Act just now.

Themes

ethics time existentialism

Mood

reflective serious

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

  • daily decision making
  • legal rulings
  • personal moral choices

Key Concepts

immediacy justice meaning philosophy

Questions to Reflect On

  • What daily actions feel like a “last judgment”?
  • Can justice truly be instantaneous?
A Different Perspective

The concept may seem abstract, making practical application difficult.

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