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
environmental moral code
Moral codes adjust themselves to environmental conditions.
past
The past is not dead. Indeed, it is often not even past.
evil forever events
In the end, nothing is lost. Every event, for good or evil, has effects forever.
rome long unity
Rome remained great as long as she had enemies who forced her to unity, vision, and heroism. When she had overcome them all she flourished for a moment and then began to die.
civilization history generations
Civilization is not inherited; it has to be learned and earned by each generation anew; if the transmission should be interrupted for one century, civilization would die, and we should be savages again.
past found flourishing
There is hardly an absurdity of the past that cannot be found flourishing somewhere in the present.
civilization lasts analysis
In the last analysis civilization is based upon the food supply.
grandchildren hands sacred
Time sanctifies everything; even the most arrant theft in the hands of the robber's grandchildren becomes sacred and inviolable property.
virtue oversight packages
It is one of the most culpable oversights of nature that virtue and beauty so often come in separate packages.
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.
historical christ found
Paul created a theology of which none but the vaguest warrants can be found in the words of Christ.
education men woe
Woe to him who teaches men faster than they can learn.
order civilization promoting
Civilization is the order and freedom is promoting cultural activity.
christian religious rome
In Constantinople, more Christians were slaughtered by Christians in the years 342-343 than by all the persecutions by pagans in the history of Rome.