Arnold J. Toynbee quotes - page 2

Arnold J. Toynbee was a British historian, philosopher of history, and author, best known for his twelve-volume work "A Study of History." His analysis of the rise and fall of civilizations greatly influenced twentieth-century thought about history and society. He is remembered for his cyclical theory of civilizations and his comparative approach to historical study. Here are 59 of his quotes:

Of the twenty or so civilizations known to modern Western historians, all except our own appear to be dead or moribund, and, when we diagnose each case, in extremis or post mortem, we invariably find that the cause of death has been either War or Class or some combination of the two.

Arnold J. Toynbee

... the dogma that History is just "one damned thing after another...."

Arnold J. Toynbee

Now who are the individuals who are the greatest benefactors of the living generation of mankind? I should say: Confucius and Lao-Tse; the Buddha; the Prophets of Israel and Judah; Zoroaster, Jesus, Muhammad; and Socrates.

Arnold J. Toynbee

The coming of Buddhism to the West may well prove to be the most important event of the Twentieth Century.

Arnold J. Toynbee

A life which does not go into action is a failure.

Arnold J. Toynbee

To be able to fill leisure intelligently is the last product of civilization.

Arnold J. Toynbee

I can not think of any circumstances in which advertising would not be an evil.

Arnold J. Toynbee

The aim of all education is, or should be, to teach people to educate themselves.

Arnold J. Toynbee

Religion holds the solution to all problems of human relationship, whether they are between parents and children or nation and nation. Sooner or later, man has always had to decide whether he worships his own power or the power of God.

Arnold J. Toynbee

Immaturity means self-centeredness, inability to compromise, to rise above hurt feelings, to postpone immediate pleasures in favor of future benefits, or to do unpleasant chores when they need to be done.

Arnold J. Toynbee

Material power that is not counterbalanced by adequate spiritual power, that is, by love and wisdom, is a curse.

Arnold J. Toynbee

Nothing fails like success when you rely on it too much.

Arnold J. Toynbee

Human dignity can be achieved only in the field of ethics, and ethical achievement is measured by the degree in which our actions are governed by compassion and love, not by greed and aggressiveness.

Arnold J. Toynbee

The world's greatest need . . . is mutual confidence. No human being ever knows all the secrets of another's heart. Yet there is enough confidence between mother and child, husband and wife, buyer and seller . . . to make social life a practical possibility. Confidence may be risky, but it is nothing like so risky as mistrust.

Arnold J. Toynbee

The last stage but one of every civilisation, is characterised by the forced political unification of its constituent parts, into a single greater whole.

Arnold J. Toynbee

The absolute value of love makes life worth while, and so makes Man's strange and difficult situation acceptable. Love cannot save life from death; but it can fulfill life's purpose.

Arnold J. Toynbee

Adversity in the things of this world opens the door for spiritual salvation.

Arnold J. Toynbee

Write regularly, day in and day out, at whatever times of day you find that you write best. Don't wait till you feel that you are in the mood. Write, whether you are feeling inclined to write or not.

Arnold J. Toynbee

The penalty of affluence is that it cuts one off from the common lot, common experience, and common fellowship. In a sense it outlaws one automatically from one's birthright of membership in the great human family.

Arnold J. Toynbee

Love's way of dealing with us is different from conscience's way. Conscience commands; love inspires. What we do out of love, we do because we want to.

Arnold J. Toynbee

The twentieth century will be chiefly remembered by future generations not as an era of political conflicts or technical inventions, but as an age in which human society dared to think of the welfare of the whole human race as a practical objective.

Arnold J. Toynbee

We have been God-like in our planned breeding of our domesticated plants and animals, but we have been rabbit-like in our unplanned breeding of ourselves.

Arnold J. Toynbee