A World Split Apart ('The Harvard Commencement Address')
Delivered at Harvard University's Commencement on June 8, 1978, the exiled Russian novelist offered a uncompromising critique of Western materialism, spiritual decline, and the loss of civic courage.
Full Transcript
Harvard’s motto is ‘VERITAS.’ Many of you already know and others will know before long that truth eludes us as soon as our concentration begins to flag, all the while leaving the illusion that we are continuing to pursue it.
A decline in courage may be the most striking feature which an outside observer notices in the West in our days. The Western world has lost its civil courage, both as a whole and separately, in each country, in each government, in each political party, and, of course, in the United Nations.
Such a decline in courage is particularly noticeable among the ruling groups and the intellectual elite, causing an impression of loss of courage by the entire society.
Should I be asked whether I would propose the West, such as it is today, as a model to my country, frankly I would have to answer negatively. No, I could not recommend your society in its present state as an ideal for the transformation of ours.
We have placed too much hope in political and social reforms, only to discover that we were being deprived of our most precious possession: our spiritual life.
Defining Key Excerpts
"A decline in courage may be the most striking feature which an outside observer notices in the West in our days."
"Human rights cannot be placed above human duties; to do so is to forget that man was created for spiritual development."
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