Jane Addams

Sociology American 1860 – 1935 98 quotes

A social reformer and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, she was a pioneer in social work and urban sociology, co-founding Hull House.

Quotes by Jane Addams

The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity.

Personal Reflection 1930

We have learned to look upon the most humble as our brothers and sisters.

Outlines of an Educational Program 1895

True peace is not merely the absence of war, but the presence of justice.

Speech 1925

The essence of democracy is its assurance that every human being should be treated with respect.

Democracy and Social Ethics 1902

One's spiritual realizations are usually awkward if expressed, much more so if attempted to be organized.

Twenty Years at Hull-House 1910

The world of higher education should have no snobbishness or elitism about it.

The Spirit of Youth and the City Streets 1909

Action is the sole medium of expression for ethics.

Democracy and Social Ethics 1902

Unless all men are brothers, none are free.

Letter 1915

The only thing to do with good advice is to pass it on. It is never of any use to oneself.

Personal Reflection 1920

Our very sense of solidarity is built upon that experience of shared suffering.

Democracy and Social Ethics 1902

To reach the masses, one must speak their language.

Hull-House Maps and Papers 1899

The Settlement is a protest against the monotony of modern life.

Twenty Years at Hull-House 1910

War is the greatest failure of human reason.

Speech 1917

Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.

The Spirit of Youth and the City Streets 1909

The test of a democracy is how it treats its minorities.

Interview 1920

Compassion is the chief law of human existence.

Democracy and Social Ethics 1902

We all bear traces of the starvation struggle which for so long made up the life of the race.

Twenty Years at Hull-House 1910

The door to opportunity is often locked, and we must find the key.

Personal Reflection 1930

Peace is every step.

Speech 1925

The greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.

Twenty Years at Hull-House 1911