Quote

History is so indifferently rich, that a case for almost any conclusion from it can be made by a selection of instances.

Will Durant

Change background

T
T
T

Change font

TAGS & TOPICS

Will Durant
Age: 96 †
Born: 1885
Born: November 5
Died: 1981
Died: November 7
Historian
Philosopher
Writer
North Adams
Massachusetts
William James Will Durant
William James Durant
History
Instances
Made
Selection
Conclusion
Instance
Case
Cases
Almost
Rich
Indifferently

More quotes by Will Durant

Image
Time sanctifies everything even the most arrant theft in the hands of the robber's grandchildren becomes sacred and inviolable property.
Will Durant
Image
We have conferred a mystic popularity upon officials whose only virtue is their timidity while our scorn of rebels and reformers is so great that we have ceased to persecute them. The capitals and governments of the world are in the hands of caution and change comes over them only in the night, unseen.
Will Durant
Image
Civilizations come and go they conquer the earth and crumble into dust but faith survives every desolation.
Will Durant
Image
If I were rich I would have many books, and I would pamper myself with bindings bright to the eye and soft to the touch, paper generously opaque, and type such as men designed when printing was very young. I would dress my gods in leather and gold, and burn candles of worship before them at night, and string their names like beads on a string.
Will Durant
Image
As knowledge grew, fear decreased men thought less of worshiping the unknown, and more of overcoming it.
Will Durant
Image
The world wisely prefers happiness to wisdom.
Will Durant
Image
India was the motherland of our race and Samskrit the mother of Europe 's languages...Mother India is in many ways the mother of us all.
Will Durant
Image
The future never just happened. It was created.
Will Durant
Image
Every form of government tends to perish by excess of its basic principle.
Will Durant
Image
The fear of capitalism has compelled socialism to widen freedom, and the fear of socialism has compelled capitalism to increase equality. East is West and West is East, and soon the twain will meet.
Will Durant
Image
Fundamentalism is the triumph of Paul over Christ.
Will Durant
Image
Peace is an unstable equilibrium, which can be preserved only by acknowledged supremacy or equal power.
Will Durant
Image
It may be true that you can't fool all the people all the time, but you can fool enough of them to rule a large country.
Will Durant
Image
Every state begins in compulsion but the habits of obedience become the content of conscience, and soon every citizen thrills with loyalty to the flag. The citizen is right for however the state begins, it soon becomes an indispensable prop to order.
Will Durant
Image
When liberty exceeds intelligence, it begets chaos, which begets dictatorship.
Will Durant
Image
Civilization begins with order, grows with liberty, and dies with chaos.
Will Durant
Image
Civilization is the order and freedom is promoting cultural activity.
Will Durant
Image
Progress is the increasing control of the environment by life.
Will Durant
Image
Forget mistakes. Forget failure. Forget everything except what you're going to do now and do it. Today is your lucky day
Will Durant
Image
If our economy of freedom fails to distribute wealth as ably as it has created it, the road to dictatorship will be open to any man who can persuasively promise security to all.
Will Durant