1) On a long enough timeline, history repeats.
This much is clear reading Will and Ariel Durant’s The Lessons of History (1968).
As they write, “The past is the present unrolled for understanding.”
Here are some lessons that stuck with me. 👇
This much is clear reading Will and Ariel Durant’s The Lessons of History (1968).
As they write, “The past is the present unrolled for understanding.”
Here are some lessons that stuck with me. 👇
2) The first lesson is modesty.
Human history is a brief spot in space. Man is a moment in astronomic time.
Generations of men establish a growing mastery over the earth, but they are destined to become fossils in its soil.
Human history is a brief spot in space. Man is a moment in astronomic time.
Generations of men establish a growing mastery over the earth, but they are destined to become fossils in its soil.
3) Life is competition. Even cooperation is a tool and form of competition.
We cooperate in our group—our family, community, party, race, or nation—in order to strengthen our group in its competition with other groups.
The earth will unite only if here is interplanetary war.
We cooperate in our group—our family, community, party, race, or nation—in order to strengthen our group in its competition with other groups.
The earth will unite only if here is interplanetary war.
4) History is color-blind.
It is not the race that makes the civilization, it is the civilization that makes the people.
The civilized soul will reveal itself in treating every man or woman, however lowly, as a representative of one of these creative and contributory groups.
It is not the race that makes the civilization, it is the civilization that makes the people.
The civilized soul will reveal itself in treating every man or woman, however lowly, as a representative of one of these creative and contributory groups.
5) History (and nature) do not agree with our conceptions of good and bad. They define good as that which survives, and bad as that which goes under.
6) If history supports any theology, it would be a good spirit and an evil spirit battling for control of the universe and men’s souls.
7) Sin has flourished in every age.
In every age men have been dishonest and governments have been corrupt. Man has never reconciled himself to the Ten Commandments.
In every age men have been dishonest and governments have been corrupt. Man has never reconciled himself to the Ten Commandments.
8) But in the long view of history, moral codes are universal and necessary to produce order out of natural chaos in all the fields of human life.
9) Society is based on social order, which is based on character and moral discipline which is usually associated with religious belief.
Morals deteriorate when religious belief weakens.
Morals deteriorate when religious belief weakens.
10) There is no significant example in history of a society successfully maintaining moral life without the aid of religion.
11) In antiquity and modernity alike, analytical thought dissolved the religion that had buttressed the moral code.
The replacement of Christian with secular institutions is the culminating and critical result of the Industrial Revolution.
The replacement of Christian with secular institutions is the culminating and critical result of the Industrial Revolution.
12) The propaganda of patriotism or capitalism succeeds to the inculcation of a supernatural creed. Divine surveillance and sanctions are removed.
13) All economic history shows that concentration of wealth is natural and inevitable (leading to redistribution or revolution).
The struggle of socialism against capitalism is part of this historic rhythm.
The struggle of socialism against capitalism is part of this historic rhythm.
14) Every advance in the complexity of the economy puts an added premium upon superior ability, and intensifies the concentration of wealth, responsibility, and political power.
15) The concentration reaches a point where the strength of number in the many poor rivals the strength of ability in the few rich.
This is an unstable equilibrium, which history has diversely met by legislation redistributing wealth or by revolution distributing poverty.
This is an unstable equilibrium, which history has diversely met by legislation redistributing wealth or by revolution distributing poverty.
16) The Western world visibly moves to a synthesis of capitalism and socialism.
The fear of capitalism has compelled socialism to widen freedom, and the fear of socialism has compelled capitalism to increase equality.
Soon the twain will meet.
The fear of capitalism has compelled socialism to widen freedom, and the fear of socialism has compelled capitalism to increase equality.
Soon the twain will meet.
17) Utopias of equality are doomed, and the best that can be hoped for is an approximate equality of legal justice and educational opportunity.
18) Freedom and equality are enemies. When one prevails the other dies.
Paradoxically, the first condition of freedom is its limitation. Make it absolute and it dies in chaos.
If you have excess order, you still have order, but if you have excess liberty, you have chaos.
Paradoxically, the first condition of freedom is its limitation. Make it absolute and it dies in chaos.
If you have excess order, you still have order, but if you have excess liberty, you have chaos.
19) America is a democracy more basic and universal than history has ever seen. But many of the formative conditions have disappeared.
20) Civilizations begin, flourish, decline, and disappear. Political leaders fail to meet the challenges of change.
American civilization like any other is a transitory thing. We should not be greatly disturbed.
American civilization like any other is a transitory thing. We should not be greatly disturbed.
21) By plunging into the epochs, our hope should be to learn enough history to bear reality patiently.
Nothing surprises the student of history.
stray-reflections.com/article/164/On…
Nothing surprises the student of history.
stray-reflections.com/article/164/On…
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