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
past understanding action
The present is the past rolled up for action, and the past is the present unrolled for understanding.
past men color
I have tried to be impartial, though I know that a man's past always colors his views, and that nothing else is so irritating as impartiality.
war past years
There have been only 268 of the past 3,421 years free of war.
past rely-upon police
The experience of the past lives little doubt that every economic system must sooner or later rely upon some form of the profit motive to stir individuals and groups to productivity. Substitutes like slavery, police supervision, or ideological enthusiasm prove too unproductive, too expensive, or too transient.
past found flourishing
There is hardly an absurdity of the past that cannot be found flourishing somewhere in the present.
past
The past is not dead. Indeed, it is often not even past.
dishonest ill integrity others praising speak
To speak ill of others is a dishonest way of praising ourselves.
answer belief creative god history mean nature negative reluctant support supreme vitality
Does history support a belief in God? If by God we mean not the creative vitality of nature but a supreme being intelligent and benevolent, the answer must be a reluctant negative
civilization order liberty
Civilization begins with order, grows with liberty and dies with chaos.
character technology opportunity
The influence of geographic factors diminishes as technology grows. The character and contour of a terrain may offer opportunities for agriculture, mining, or trade, but only the imagination and initiative of leaders, and the hardy industry of followers, can transform the possibilities into fact...Man, not the earth, makes civilization.
conservative radical valuable
The conservative who resists change is as valuable as the radical who proposes it.
men civilization earth
Man, not the earth, makes civilization.
character destiny personality
If you have character, endeavor, personality, courage and the capacity for concentrated labor, you will do what is your destiny – and, perhaps, even do it well.
science law lessons
The laws of biology are the fundamental lessons of history.