Know Thyself! The Novels Read by Young Joseph Ratzinger in Seminary

"'Truth is not outside thee, but in thyself. Find thyself in thyself, subdue thyself to thyself, be master of thyself and thou wilt see the truth. Not in things is this truth, not outside thee or abroad, but first of all in thine own labour upon thyself. If thou conquer and subdue thyself, then thou wilt be freer than thou hast ever dreamed, and thou wilt begin a great work and make others free, and thou wilt see happiness, for thy life will be fulfilled and thou wilt at the last understand thy people and its sacred truth. Not with the Gypsies nor elsewhere is universal harmony, if thou thyself art first unworthy of her, malicious and proud, and thou dost demand life as a gift, not even thinking, that man must pay for her.'"

The Pushkin Monument, Moscow
Unveiled with the Dostoevsky Speech

--Excerpt from Dostoevsky's Historic Speech in Honor of Pushkin, June 8, 1880

Dostoevsky was one of the Novelists Ratzinger read in his seminary days: "...one of the authors everyone read..." Milestones, 42

Here is the full quote.

"We devoured the novels of

• "Gertrud von Le Fort,
• "Elisabeth Langasser, and
• "Ernst Wiechert.

• "Dostoevsky was one of the authors everyone read, and likewise the great Frenchmen;
• "Claudel,
• "Bernanos,
• "Mauriac."

All were of the Catholic faith (except the Orthodox Dostoevsky), and among the most brilliant contemporary writers in the world during that first half of the twentieth century!

That Dostoevsky quote on self-knowledge is reminiscent of the words of the Lord: "The kingdom of God is within you!" Luke 17:21