Will Durant
Will Durant
William James "Will" Durantwas an American writer, historian, and philosopher. He is best known for The Story of Civilization, 11 volumes written in collaboration with his wife, Ariel Durant, and published between 1935 and 1975. He was earlier noted for The Story of Philosophy, described as "a groundbreaking work that helped to popularize philosophy"...
ProfessionNovelist
Date of Birth5 November 1885
infinity philosopher now-and-then
It is good a philosopher should remind himself, now and then, that he is a particle pontificating on infinity.
excesses living street
We are living in the excesses of freedom. Just take a look at 42nd Street an Broadway.
adequate against flame hasty marriage mutual
I am not against hasty marriages, where a mutual flame is fanned by an adequate income.
art begins ends philosophy science
Every science begins as philosophy and ends as art
clever good history lessons
One of the lessons of history is that nothing is often a good thing to do and always a clever thing to say.
begin came reform remake since time
It came to me that reform should begin at home, and since that day I havenot had time to remake the world.
civilization lasts analysis
In the last analysis civilization is based upon the food supply.
activity civilization cultural freedom order promoting
Civilization is the order and freedom promoting cultural activity
banks build civilization filled happened historians ignore people pessimists poetry raise shouting sing stream whittle
Civilization is a stream with banks. The stream is sometimes filled with from people , stealing, shouting and doing the things historians usually record, while on the banks, unnoticed, people build homes, make love, raise children, sing songs, write poetry and even whittle statues. The story of civilization is the story of what happened on the banks. Historians are pessimists because they ignore the banks for the river.
banks build civilization filled happened historians ignore people pessimists poetry raise shouting sing stream whittle
Civilization is a stream with banks. The stream is sometimes filled with from people , stealing, shouting and doing the things historians usually record, while on the banks, unnoticed, people build homes, make love, raise children, sing songs, write poetry and even whittle statues. The story of civilization is the story of what happened on the banks. Historians are pessimists because they ignore the banks for the river.
darkness sun reason
I feel for all faiths the warm sympathy of one who has come to learn that even the trust in reason is a precarious faith, and that we are all fragments of darkness groping for the sun. I know no more about the ultimates than the simplest urchin in the streets.
acceptance assumption snares
The great snare of thought is uncritical acceptance of irrational assumptions.
men europe america
The greatest question of our time is not communism vs. individualism, not Europe vs. America, not even the East vs. the West; it is whether men can bear to live without God.
education men woe
Woe to him who teaches men faster than they can learn.