"On the whole, I am on the side of the unregenerate who affirms the worth of life as an end in itself, as against the saints who deny it"

In this quote, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. is expressing his choice for those who welcome life as an end in itself, rather than those who deny its worth. He is promoting for the "unregenerate," or those who have not been spiritually transformed, and their gratitude of life. He is suggesting that life needs to be valued for its own sake, and not simply as a means to an end. He is also indicating that those who reject the worth of life are "saints," or those who have been spiritually changed. By taking this position, Holmes is advocating for a more secular view of life, one that does not rely on spiritual or spiritual beliefs to find value in life. He is recommending that life ought to be valued and enjoyed for its own sake, and not simply as a method to an end.