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Reinhold Niebuhr - Philosophy, Work and ChangeReinhold Niebuhr - Philosophy, Work and Change

 

Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971)

 

American theologian and Lutheran pastor (pictured right).

 

 

Who did he influence?Reinhold Niebuhr - Philosophy, Work and Change

Barack Obama, pictured right (Niebuhr is his favourite philosopher).

Martin Luther King (pictured right below), leader of the American civil rights movement.

 

His most famous book is...Reinhold Niebuhr - Philosophy, Work and Change

Moral Man and Immoral Society (1932).

 

What did he say about work and change?

 

1. Fate v. free will

Your life depends on a mixture of:

  • necessity (fate, or events forced upon you).
  • human spirit (the free will to make the most of your life).

Reinhold Niebuhr - Philosophy, Work and Change 

2. Know yourself

  • be honest with yourself
  • avoid self-delusion.

 

3. Accept change

Niebuhr is best known for his Serenity Prayer that has been adopted by Alcoholics Anonymous:

“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference”

 Reinhold Niebuhr - Philosophy, Work and Change

4. Conflict is inevitable

Conflict arises because the powerful (e.g. managers) exploit the weak (e.g. workers and oppressed minorities like African Americans).

As a young Lutheran pastor in Detroit (1915-8), Niebuhr witnessed the exploitation of Henry Ford’s (pictured right) factory workers.

“Their sweat and their dull pain are part of the price paid for all the fine cars we all run”, he said.

 Reinhold Niebuhr - Philosophy, Work and Change

5. Empower the oppressed

Political action is the only way to:

  • stop exploitation.
  • make the weak powerful.

Education and individual moral action can’t do it, because of people’s selfish desire to protect their privileged position.

 Reinhold Niebuhr - Philosophy, Work and Change

6. Anxiety is part of life

Anxiety comes from:

  • not knowing your limitations.
  • lack of control over your life.
  • dissatisfaction and despair from life's unfulfilled possibilities .

Life is like a sailor climbing a mask who is anxious about getting to the crow’s nest at the top, or falling into the sea (“the abyss of nothingness”).

 Reinhold Niebuhr - Philosophy, Work and Change

7. Faith with a social conscience

Christian faith will give your life meaning and purpose

But you mustn’t use your faith as an excuse for:

  • selfishness.
  • exploitation of the weak.

True morality requires political and social action as well as faith.

 

Key quote on politics and government

Man’s capacity for justice makes democracy possible but man’s inclination to injustice makes democracy necessary.

 

Key quote on workers and unions

Conflict is inevitable and in this conflict power must be challenged by power.

 

Key quotes on society

We can no longer buy the highest satisfactions of the individual life at the expense of social injustice.

 

Key quote on religion

The greater the vitality of religion, the more it may either support or endanger morality.

 

Key quote on peace of mind

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

 

Key quote on America

Our gadget filled paradise suspended in a hell of international insecurity.

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