"The concept of guilt is found most powerfully developed even in the most primitive communal forms which we know: … the man is guilty who violates one of the original laws which dominate the society and which are mostly derived from a divine founder; the boy who is accepted into the tribal community and learns its laws, which bind him thenceforth, learns to promise; this promise is often given under the sign of death, which is symbolically carried out on the boy, with a symbolical rebirth."
React to this quote
More by Martin Buber
See allResonant Thoughts
"It is of great importance in a republic, not only to guard the society against the oppression of its rulers, but to guard one part of the society against the injustice of the other part. Different int…"
"Spencer’s readers are carefully steered away from all contact with the Islamic interpretative tradition, which equals or exceeds that of any other religion, because any scholarly knowledge about Islam…"
Explore Further
Related Quotes
"The free soul is rare, but you know it when you see it - basically because you feel good, very good, when y…"
— Charles Bukowski"We lit the whole world up before we blew up/I still don’t know just how we screwed it up."
— Selena Gomez"I have left off crying, and giggling as well. Now make up your mind. I don't care anything for all this tal…"
— Charles Portis"America is a country with a First Amendment, and you're allowed to publish just about anything you want, as…"
— Tom Clancy"Every boy should know that masturbation may be the first step to homosexuality."
— W. Cleon Skousen"He who laughs most, learns best."
— John Cleese
Related Thinkers
Related Topics
Deep Dives
- Friedrich Nietzsche on knowledge
- Baruch Spinoza on knowledge
- Thomas Carlyle on knowledge
- Aristotle on knowledge
- Immanuel Kant on knowledge
- Ludwig Wittgenstein on knowledge
- Michel de Montaigne on knowledge
- Epictetus on knowledge
- Friedrich Nietzsche on life
- Friedrich Nietzsche on truth
- justice & Beauty
- justice & Change