Prof. Predrag Cicovacki: “Albert Schweitzer as an Intellectual.”

This lecture examines Albert Schweitzer’s distinctive understanding of the intellectual—not primarily as a learned or original thinker, but as someone guided by profound insight, humane concern, and fidelity to the highest ideals. Schweitzer sought a “moral interpretation of the world,” embodied in his principle of Reverence for Life, at a time when ethical ideals had become increasingly disconnected from reality. While questioning whether intellectuals can truly make the world better or serve as reliable guides, the lecture argues that they can make life richer by opening new possibilities for joining the real and the ideal. Schweitzer’s enduring significance lies in his example: he challenges each of us to discover our own “Lambaréné,” to find a personal vocation rooted in truth and value, and to help alleviate the suffering of others.