Ellen Key Quotes

Ellen Key was a Swedish feminist and writer known for her advocacy of women's rights and progressive social ideas. Her writings addressed various issues, including education, gender roles, and sexual freedom, influencing the women's movement in Sweden and beyond.

Love is moral even without legal marriage, but mar... -Ellen Key

Love is moral even without legal marriage, but marriage is immoral without love.

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This quote expresses the viewpoint that love possesses moral value independent of legal marriage, suggesting that love itself is inherently moral. However, it also suggests that marriage lacking genuine love is immoral, emphasizing the significance of love as a foundation for morally justifiable marriages.

Like George Sand, the feminism of the present day asserts the right of free thought against the creed of authority in every field; the solidarity of mankind and the cause of peace against the patriotism of militarism; social reform against the existing relations of society.

The storm and stress period of women and the new social and psychological formations thereby entailed must indeed extend far into the twentieth century. This period of conflict will cease only when woman within and out of marriage shall have received legal equality with man.

Education can give you a skill, but a liberal educ... -Ellen Key

Education can give you a skill, but a liberal education can give you dignity.

Lack of courage or means often deters the European woman from more independent business activity, and this in spite of increasing freedom to choose her occupation, in spite of brilliant examples of successful undertakings of women, in photography, hotel or boarding-house management, dress-making, etc.

The more horrifying this world becomes, the more a... -Ellen Key

The more horrifying this world becomes, the more art becomes abstract.

When one paints an ideal, one does not need to lim... -Ellen Key

When one paints an ideal, one does not need to limit one's imagination.

Love, as life, will fortunately remain an eternal mystery which no science will be able to penetrate and which reason cannot rule. Our only hope for the future is that man, endowed with a more delicate sense, will listen to the secrets of his own life.

Whereas nationalism still seeks power, honour, and glory through means that endanger other countries, patriotism knows that a country's strength and honour can only be permanently safeguarded through concourse with other countries. And whereas nationalism scoffs at the idea of international laws and regulations, patriotism seeks to create such.

While the women of the older generation were thankful if only they succeeded in obtaining 'a work and a duty,' however monotonous and wearing it might be, the will of the younger generation for a pleasurable labour has fortunately increased.

Our age gives the more receptive among the young such a sense of social responsibility that one is inclined at times to fear that social interests may encroach upon individual development, that a knowledge of all the ills affecting the community may act as too powerful a damper on the joys of youth.

The simplest formula for the new conception of morality, which is beginning to be opposed to the moral dogma still esteemed by all society, but especially by the women, might be summed up in these words: Love is moral even without legal marriage, but marriage is immoral without love.

Ellen Key Quotes

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