Nikolai A. Berdyaev Quotes

#1. Control and violence that is best reflected in the state, are evil in themselves. In this knowledge lies the great truth of anarchism.

Nikolai A. Berdyaev

#2. And when there are no more classes, when society is socially democratized and unified, then there will be revealed in all its metaphysical depths the never-ending tragedy of the conflict between personality and society.

Nikolai A. Berdyaev

#3. The idea of Slavic unity, is first of all a Russo-Polish unity

Nikolai A. Berdyaev

#4. The Russian yearning for the meaning of life is the major theme of our literature, and this is the real point of our intelligentsia's existence.

Nikolai A. Berdyaev

#5. The distinction between the things of Caesar and the things of God is constantly being erased in our fallen world, and this always indicates that the Kingdom of Caesar is attempting to swallow up the Kingdom of God.

Nikolai A. Berdyaev

#6. It is noteworthy that at a time when every religious sanction of authority has vanished, we live in a very authoritarian epoch.

Nikolai A. Berdyaev

#7. Every single human soul has more meaning and value than the whole of history.

Nikolai A. Berdyaev

#8. There is a tragic clash between Truth and the world. Pure undistorted truth burns up the world.

Nikolai A. Berdyaev

#9. God desires that man should be. God does not wish to be alone. The meaning of existence is the conquest of loneliness, the acquisition of kinship and nearness.

Nikolai A. Berdyaev

#10. Bread for me is a material question. Bread for my neighbor is a spiritual one.

Nikolai A. Berdyaev

#11. The question of bread for myself is a material question, but the question of bread for my neighbor is a spiritual question.

Nikolai A. Berdyaev

#12. The war educated a generation of believers in force. The demons of hatred and murder then released continue their activity.

Nikolai A. Berdyaev

#13. Fear is never a good counselor and victory over fear is the first spiritual duty of man.

Nikolai A. Berdyaev