Quote by Whittaker Chambers

At issue in the Hiss Case was the question whether this sick society, which we call Western civilization, could in its extremity still cast up a man whose faith in it was so great that he would voluntarily abandon those things which men hold good, including life, to defend it.

At issue in the Hiss Case was the question whether this sick

Summary

This quote alludes to the Hiss Case, referring to Alger Hiss, an American government official accused of being a Soviet spy during the Cold War era. The quote ponders the state of Western civilization and its ability to produce individuals who are willing to sacrifice personal benefits, even their own lives, in order to protect and uphold its values. It questions whether such unwavering faith in society still exists, especially in times of crisis or when faced with compromising choices.

Topics

By Whittaker Chambers

Liked the quote? Share it with your friends.

Random Quotations

Bill Gates wants people to think he's Edison, when he's real

Bill Gates wants people to think he's Edison, when he's really Rockefeller. Referring to Gates as the smartest man in America isn't right... wealth isn't the same thing as intelligence.

I owe all my originality, such as it is, to my determination

I owe all my originality, such as it is, to my determination not to be a literary man. Instead of belonging to a literary club I belong to a municipal council. Instead of drinking and discussing authors and reviews, I sit on committees with capable practical greengrocers and bootmakers... Keep away from books and from men who get their ideas from books, and your own books will always be fresh.

George Bernard Shaw

It may be a cliche, but it's true - the build-up to Christma

It may be a cliche, but it's true - the build-up to Christmas is so much more pleasurable than the actual day itself.

If you're not allowed to laugh in heaven, I don't want to go

If you're not allowed to laugh in heaven, I don't want to go there.

Martin Luther King Jr.

I have just come from a couple of raids, where we had a very

I have just come from a couple of raids, where we had a very lively time, and some of them had to pull their guns. I found it necessary to punch a few sports myself.

Richard H. Davis

Traditionally, scientists have treated the laws of physics a

Traditionally, scientists have treated the laws of physics as simply 'given,' elegant mathematical relationships that were somehow imprinted on the universe at its birth, and fixed thereafter. Inquiry into the origin and nature of the laws was not regarded as a proper part of science.

A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet mus

A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write, if they are to be ultimately at peace with themselves.

Life was never quite the same for me after that winter walk

Life was never quite the same for me after that winter walk to town. The charts that I brought home with me were potent and ensnaring and I feel it my duty to warn any others who may show signs of star susceptibility that they approach the observing of variable stars with the utmost caution. It is easy to become and addict and, as usual, the longer the indulgence is continued the more difficult it becomes to go back to a normal life.

Leslie C. Peltier

I can teach anybody how to get what they want out of life. T

I can teach anybody how to get what they want out of life. The problem is that I can't find anybody who can tell me what they want.

Human life itself may be almost pure chaos, but the work of

Human life itself may be almost pure chaos, but the work of the artist is to take these handfuls of confusion and disparate things, things that seem to be irreconcilable, and put them together in a frame to give them some kind of shape and meaning.

Katherine Anne Porter

Slow help is no help.

Slow help is no help.

You know how the bonds of family are, my lady... They cling

You know how the bonds of family are, my lady... They cling as tightly as vines. And sometimes, like vines, they cling tightly enough to kill.

Cassandra Clare

Jace Seelie Court