Joseph Rotblat quotes

Joseph Rotblat was a Polish physicist renowned for his work on nuclear physics and his efforts towards nuclear disarmament. His research contributed to the development of atomic technology, but he later became a leading advocate for peace. He dedicated much of his life to promoting ethical responsibility in science and received the Nobel Peace Prize for his activism. Here are 34 of his quotes:

I did not imagine that the second half of my life would be spent on efforts to avert a mortal danger to humanity created by science.

Joseph Rotblat

I have to bring to your notice a terrifying reality: with the development of nuclear weapons Man has acquired, for the first time in history, the technical means to destroy the whole of civilization in a single act.

Joseph Rotblat

But scientists on both sides of the iron curtain played a very significant role in maintaining the momentum of the nuclear arms race throughout the four decades of the Cold War.

Joseph Rotblat

But the first the general public learned about the discovery was the news of the destruction of Hiroshima by the atom bomb. A splendid achievement of science and technology had turned malign. Science became identified with death and destruction.

Joseph Rotblat

I appeal to my fellow scientists to remember their responsibility to humanity.

Joseph Rotblat

The decision to use the atom bomb on Japanese cities, and the consequent buildup of enormous nuclear arsenals, was made by governments, on the basis of political and military perceptions.

Joseph Rotblat

At a time when science plays such a powerful role in the life of society, when the destiny of the whole of mankind may hinge on the results of scientific research, it is incumbent on all scientists to be fully conscious of that role, and conduct themselves accordingly.

Joseph Rotblat

The cold war is over, but cold war thinking survives.

Joseph Rotblat

Let me remind you that nuclear disarmament is not just an ardent desire of the people, as expressed in many resolutions of the United Nations. It is a legal commitment by the five official nuclear states, entered into when they signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Joseph Rotblat

So I ask the nuclear powers to abandon the out-of-date thinking of the Cold War period and take a fresh look. Above all, I appeal to them to bear in mind the long-term threat that nuclear weapons pose to humankind and to begin action towards their elimination.

Joseph Rotblat

This is the reality of nuclear weapons: they may trigger a world war; a war which, unlike previous ones, destroys all of civilization.

Joseph Rotblat

We are told that the possession of nuclear weapons - in some cases even the testing of these weapons - is essential for national security. But this argument can be made by other countries as well.

Joseph Rotblat

My third appeal is to my fellow citizens in all countries: Help us to establish lasting peace in the world.

Joseph Rotblat

Indeed, the very first resolution of the General Assembly of the United Nations - adopted unanimously - called for the elimination of nuclear weapons.

Joseph Rotblat

The present basic philosophy is nuclear deterrence.

Joseph Rotblat

All nuclear weapon states should now recognize that this is so, and declare - in Treaty form - that they will never be the first to use nuclear weapons. This would open the way to the gradual, mutual reduction of nuclear arsenals, down to zero.

Joseph Rotblat

But the nuclear powers still cling tenaciously to their weapons.

Joseph Rotblat

From my earliest days I had a passion for science.

Joseph Rotblat

Long before the terrifying potential of the arms race was recognized, there was a widespread instinctive abhorrence of nuclear weapons, and a strong desire to get rid of them.

Joseph Rotblat

Since the end of the Cold War two main nuclear powers have begun to make big reductions in their nuclear arsenals. Each of them is dismantling about 2,000 nuclear warheads a year.

Joseph Rotblat

The chief task was to stop the arms race before it brought utter disaster. However, after the collapse of communism and the disintegration of the Soviet Union, any rationale for having nuclear weapons disappeared.

Joseph Rotblat

Technology is driving us together. In many ways we are becoming like one family. With the global threats resulting from science and technology, the whole of humankind now needs protection. We have to extend our loyalty to the whole of the human race.

Joseph Rotblat