"It is a great mistake to think that all the inventions which have increased the power of men over nature in agriculture, in the obtaining and chemical combination of substances, as well as the possibility of men having a greater influence over one another, for example by the means of communication : the printing press, the telegraph, the telephone, the gramophone, are good. And the power over nature and increasing the possibility of people to influence each other will be good only when people's activity is guided by love, by the desire to do good to others, and they will be bad when they are guided by selfishness, by the desire to good only for himself.
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Author
Leo TolstoyAll Translations
All Translations
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It is a great mistake to think that all the inventions which have increased the power of men over nature in agriculture, in the obtaining and chemical combination of substances, as well as the possibility of men having a greater influence over one another, for example by the means of communication : the printing press, the telegraph, the telephone, the gramophone, are good. And the power over nature and increasing the possibility of people to influence each other will be good only when people's activity is guided by love, by the desire to do good to others, and they will be bad when they are guided by selfishness, by the desire to good only for himself.
""E o mare greșeală să credem că toate invențiile care au sporit puterea oamenilor asupra naturii în agricultură, în obținerea și combinarea chimică a substanțelor, precum și posibilitatea oamenilor de a avea o mai mare influență unii asupra altora, de pildă prin căile și mijloacele de comunicare: tiparul, telegraful, telefonul, gramofonul, sunt bune. Și puterea asupra naturii si sporirea posibilității oamenilor de a se influența unii pe alții vor fi bune numai când activitatea oamenilor va fi călăuzită de iubire, de dorința de a face bine altora, și vor fi rele când vor fi călăuzite de egoism, de dorința de bine doar pentru sine."