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
nature equality independence
Nature has never read the Declaration of Independence. It continues to make us unequal.
historical triumph christ
Fundamentalism is the triumph of Paul over Christ.
men play skills
An emperor knows how to govern when poets are free to make verses, people to act plays, historians to tell the truth, ministers to give advice, the poor to grumble at taxes, students to learn lessons aloud, workmen to praise their skill and seek work, people to speak of anything, and old men to find fault with everything.
civilization stoicism individual
So I should say that civilizations begin with religion and stoicism: they end with scepticism and unbelief, and the undisciplined pursuit of individual pleasure. A civilization is born stoic and dies epicurean.
human-nature history-repeats-itself repeating-history
History repeats itself in the large because human nature changes with geological leisureliness.
summer dog art
The dog that buried the bone which even a canine appetite could not manage, the squirrel that gathered nuts for a later feast, the bees that filled the comb with honey, the ants that laid up stores for a rainy day - these were among the first creators of civilization. It was they....who taught our ancestors the art of providing for tomorrow out of the surplus of today, or of preparing for winter in summer's time of plenty.
men he-man reports
History reports that the men who can manage men manage the men who can manage only things, and the men who can manage money manage all.
government political liberty
Forced to choose, the poor, like the rich, love money more than political liberty; and the only political freedom capable of enduring is one that is so pruned as to keep the rich from denuding the poor by ability or subtlety and the poor from robbing the rich by violence or votes.
real mind progress
Progress is the domination of chaos by mind and purpose, of matter by form and will. It need not be continuous to be real.
grandchildren hands sacred
Time sanctifies everything; even the most arrant theft in the hands of the robber's grandchildren becomes sacred and inviolable property.
men done arise
Wherever men do things, other men will arise who will explain to them how things should be done.
virtue oversight packages
It is one of the most culpable oversights of nature that virtue and beauty so often come in separate packages.
thinking library mankind
Read, think well of mankind, go to our libraries and rejoice.
fighting men society
Men decided that it was better to pay taxes than to fight among themselves; better to pay tribute to one magnificent robber than to bribe them all.