Quotes by Historian | Beyond Motive

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Quotes by Historian

"Power and violence are opposites; where the one rules absolutely, the other is absent. Violence appears where power is in jeopardy, but left to its own course it ends in power's disappearance."

"Power and violence are opposites; where the one rules absolutely, the other is absent. Violence appears where power is in jeopardy, but left to its own course it ends in power's disappearance."

Hannah Arendt, German Historian

Power, Jeopardy, Opposites, Rules

82

"As the archeology of our thought easily shows, man is an invention of recent date. And one perhaps nearing its end."

"As the archeology of our thought easily shows, man is an invention of recent date. And one perhaps nearing its end."

Michel Foucault, French Historian

Thought, End, Invention, Man

80

"Physical nature lies at our feet shackled with a hundred chains. What of the control of human nature? Do not point to the triumphs of psychiatry, social services or the war against crime. Domination of human nature can only mean the domination of every man by himself."

"Physical nature lies at our feet shackled with a hundred chains. What of the control of human nature? Do not point to the triumphs of psychiatry, social services or the war against crime. Domination of human nature can only mean the domination of every man by himself."

Johan Huizinga, Dutch Historian

Nature, War, Control, Crime

65

"Of all possessions a friend is the most precious."

"Of all possessions a friend is the most precious."

Herodotus, Greek Historian

Friendship, Friend, Possessions

63

"If you are strong and fighting the weak, then if you kill your opponent then you are a scoundrel... if you let him kill you, then you are an idiot."

"If you are strong and fighting the weak, then if you kill your opponent then you are a scoundrel... if you let him kill you, then you are an idiot."

Martin van Creveld, Israeli Historian

Fight, Fighting

60

"Civilizations die from suicide, not by murder."

"Civilizations die from suicide, not by murder."

Arnold J. Toynbee, British Historian

Civilization, Murder, Suicide

58

"The most radical revolutionary will become a conservative the day after the revolution."

"The most radical revolutionary will become a conservative the day after the revolution."

Hannah Arendt, German Historian

Conservative, Day, Revolution, Radical

53

"I write to discover what I think. After all, the bars aren't open that early."

"I write to discover what I think. After all, the bars aren't open that early."

Daniel J. Boorstin, American Historian

52

"It is impossible to strive for the heroic life. The title of hero is bestowed by the survivors upon the fallen, who themselves know nothing of heroism."

"It is impossible to strive for the heroic life. The title of hero is bestowed by the survivors upon the fallen, who themselves know nothing of heroism."

Johan Huizinga, Dutch Historian

Life, Heroism, Nothing

51

"To sum up the whole, we should say that the aim of the Platonic philosophy was to exalt man into a god."

"To sum up the whole, we should say that the aim of the Platonic philosophy was to exalt man into a god."

Thomas B. Macaulay, English Historian

God, Man, Philosophy

51

"Death is a delightful hiding place for weary men."

"Death is a delightful hiding place for weary men."

Herodotus, Greek Historian

49

"Thus, in accordance with the spirit of the Historical School, knowledge of the principles of the human world falls within that world itself, and the human sciences form an independent system."

"Thus, in accordance with the spirit of the Historical School, knowledge of the principles of the human world falls within that world itself, and the human sciences form an independent system."

Wilhelm Dilthey, German Historian

Knowledge, Principles, School, Spirit

47

"A mixture of admiration and pity is one of the surest recipes for affection."

"A mixture of admiration and pity is one of the surest recipes for affection."

Arthur Helps, British Historian

Admiration, Affection, Pity

46

"Men trust their ears less than their eyes."

"Men trust their ears less than their eyes."

Herodotus, Greek Historian

Trust, Men, Eyes

46

"Power is not an institution, and not a structure; neither is it a certain strength we are endowed with; it is the name that one attributes to a complex strategical situation in a particular society."

"Power is not an institution, and not a structure; neither is it a certain strength we are endowed with; it is the name that one attributes to a complex strategical situation in a particular society."

Michel Foucault, French Historian

Power, Society, Strength, Name

46

"Affairs that depend on many rarely succeed."

"Affairs that depend on many rarely succeed."

Francesco Guicciardini, Italian Historian

Society, Succeed

44

"Action without a name, a who attached to it, is meaningless."

"Action without a name, a who attached to it, is meaningless."

Hannah Arendt, German Historian

42

"My mental approach is totally different. My coach predicated everything on defense. He always talked about defense, defense, defense. I took it to heart that if you play defense, you can take the heart from an offensive player."

"My mental approach is totally different. My coach predicated everything on defense. He always talked about defense, defense, defense. I took it to heart that if you play defense, you can take the heart from an offensive player."

Eric Williams, Trinidadian Historian

Heart, Coach, Defense, Play

42

"It is simply not true that war is solely a means to an end, nor do people necessarily fight in order to obtain this objective or that. In fact, the opposite is true: people very often take up one objective or another precisely in order that they may fight."

"It is simply not true that war is solely a means to an end, nor do people necessarily fight in order to obtain this objective or that. In fact, the opposite is true: people very often take up one objective or another precisely in order that they may fight."

Martin Van Creveld, Israeli Historian

War, People, End, Fact

41

"There are no dangerous thoughts; thinking itself is dangerous."

"There are no dangerous thoughts; thinking itself is dangerous."

Hannah Arendt, German Historian

Thought, Thoughts, Thinking

40

"I received an honorary doctorate for my work. Maybe one of these works is considered the equivalent of a Ph.D."

"I received an honorary doctorate for my work. Maybe one of these works is considered the equivalent of a Ph.D."

Iris Chang, Chinese Historian

39

"It's much more difficult to work on a broad subject than on a specific one, because even if it's hard to find the information, if you look hard enough for something specific you will find it, and you will discover things that you wouldn't have thought of before."

"It's much more difficult to work on a broad subject than on a specific one, because even if it's hard to find the information, if you look hard enough for something specific you will find it, and you will discover things that you wouldn't have thought of before."

Iris Chang, Chinese Historian

Work, Thought, Information, Will

37

"History is a guide to navigation in perilous times. History is who we are and why we are the way we are."

"History is a guide to navigation in perilous times. History is who we are and why we are the way we are."

David C. McCullough, American Historian

History, Navigation

36

"Post-modernism is modernism with the optimism taken out."

"Post-modernism is modernism with the optimism taken out."

Robert Hewison, British Historian

36

"Once I grew from 6'1" to about 6'6", by that time I was going into 12th grade, and that's when I started wanting to play basketball, because, pretty much basketball players always got the girl."

"Once I grew from 6'1" to about 6'6", by that time I was going into 12th grade, and that's when I started wanting to play basketball, because, pretty much basketball players always got the girl."

Eric Williams, Trinidadian Historian

Time, Basketball, Play, Pretty

35

"Envy like fire always makes for the highest points."

"Envy like fire always makes for the highest points."

Titus Livius, Roman Historian

34

"All enterprises that are entered into with indiscreet zeal may be pursued with great vigor at first, but are sure to collapse in the end."

"All enterprises that are entered into with indiscreet zeal may be pursued with great vigor at first, but are sure to collapse in the end."

Tacitus, Roman Historian

Zeal, End, First, May

34

"They envy the distinction I have won; let them therefore, envy my toils, my honesty, and the methods by which I gained it."

"They envy the distinction I have won; let them therefore, envy my toils, my honesty, and the methods by which I gained it."

Sallust, Roman Historian

33

"In my opinion it is less shameful for a king to be overcome by force of arms than by bribery."

"In my opinion it is less shameful for a king to be overcome by force of arms than by bribery."

Sallust, Roman Historian

Politics, Bribery, Force, Opinion

33

"Make the people sovereign and the poor will use the machinery of government to dispossess the rich."

"Make the people sovereign and the poor will use the machinery of government to dispossess the rich."

C. Northcote Parkinson, British Historian

Government, People, Poor, Will

33

"History is Philosophy teaching by examples."

"History is Philosophy teaching by examples."

Thucydides, Greek Historian

History, Philosophy, Teaching

31

"For some reason, I seem to be bothered whenever I see acts of injustice and assaults on people's civil liberties. I imagine what I write in the future will follow in that vein. Whether it's fiction or non-fiction."

"For some reason, I seem to be bothered whenever I see acts of injustice and assaults on people's civil liberties. I imagine what I write in the future will follow in that vein. Whether it's fiction or non-fiction."

Iris Chang, Chinese Historian

People, Civilliberties, Fiction, Future

29

"When I was a child in the 1940s and early 1950s, my parents and grandparents spoke of Britain as home, and New Zealand had this strong sense of identity and coherence as being part of the commonwealth and a the identity of its people as being British."

"When I was a child in the 1940s and early 1950s, my parents and grandparents spoke of Britain as home, and New Zealand had this strong sense of identity and coherence as being part of the commonwealth and a the identity of its people as being British."

Michael King, New Zealander Historian

Home, People, Being, Grandparents

28

"When it is dark enough, you can see the stars."

"When it is dark enough, you can see the stars."

Charles A. Beard, American Historian

28

"Storytelling reveals meaning without committing the error of defining it."

"Storytelling reveals meaning without committing the error of defining it."

Hannah Arendt, German Historian

Storytelling, Error, Meaning

28

"On the other hand, for the whole human being who wills, feels, and represents, external reality is given simultaneously and with as much certitude as his own self."

"On the other hand, for the whole human being who wills, feels, and represents, external reality is given simultaneously and with as much certitude as his own self."

Wilhelm Dilthey, German Historian

Being, Reality, Self

28

"There is no flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people."

"There is no flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people."

Howard Zinn, American Historian

People, Killing, Shame

28

"The trouble with lying and deceiving is that their efficiency depends entirely upon a clear notion of the truth that the liar and deceiver wishes to hide."

"The trouble with lying and deceiving is that their efficiency depends entirely upon a clear notion of the truth that the liar and deceiver wishes to hide."

Hannah Arendt, German Historian

Truth, Efficiency, Lying, Trouble

28

"Pursuing employment or climatic relief, we live in voluntary exile from our extended families and our longer past, but in an involuntary exile from ourselves and our own past."

"Pursuing employment or climatic relief, we live in voluntary exile from our extended families and our longer past, but in an involuntary exile from ourselves and our own past."

John Thorn, American Historian

27

"It is the logic of consumerism that undermines the values of loyalty and permanence and promotes a different set of values that is destructive of family life."

"It is the logic of consumerism that undermines the values of loyalty and permanence and promotes a different set of values that is destructive of family life."

Christopher Lasch, American Historian

Family, Life, Values, Logic

27

"It's definitely going to be harder than it sounds to acquire millions of users in the U.S. It's going to be a lot of work, and you can't make light of that."

"It's definitely going to be harder than it sounds to acquire millions of users in the U.S. It's going to be a lot of work, and you can't make light of that."

Michael King, New Zealander Historian

Work, Light, Newzealander

27

"The historian is, by definition, absolutely incapable of observing the facts which he examines."

"The historian is, by definition, absolutely incapable of observing the facts which he examines."

Marc Bloch, French Historian

26

"Think like a man of action, and act like a man of thought."

"Think like a man of action, and act like a man of thought."

Sallust, Roman Historian

Thought, Action, Man

26

"Science and technology revolutionize our lives, but memory, tradition and myth frame our response."

"Science and technology revolutionize our lives, but memory, tradition and myth frame our response."

Arthur M. Schlesinger, American Historian

Science, Technology, Memory, Myth

26

"Somebody who was born in this country who visited China would later face difficulty getting back in to the USA. We have to keep in mind that the struggles of the Chinese against these exclusion laws really laid down the foundations of civil rights law."

"Somebody who was born in this country who visited China would later face difficulty getting back in to the USA. We have to keep in mind that the struggles of the Chinese against these exclusion laws really laid down the foundations of civil rights law."

Iris Chang, Chinese Historian

Diversity, Civilrights, Country, Difficulty, Law

25

"The worst pain a man can suffer: to have insight into much and power over nothing."

"The worst pain a man can suffer: to have insight into much and power over nothing."

Herodotus, Greek Historian

Power, Man, Nothing, Pain

25

"Revolutionaries do not make revolutions. The revolutionaries are those who know when power is lying in the street and then they can pick it up."

"Revolutionaries do not make revolutions. The revolutionaries are those who know when power is lying in the street and then they can pick it up."

Hannah Arendt, German Historian

24

"History is not a burden on the memory but an illumination of the soul."

"History is not a burden on the memory but an illumination of the soul."

Lord Acton, British Historian

History, Soul, Burden, Memory

24

"The issue which has swept down the centuries and which will have to be fought sooner or later is the people versus the banks."

"The issue which has swept down the centuries and which will have to be fought sooner or later is the people versus the banks."

Lord Acton, British Historian

People, Banks, Will

23

"In the long run, there is not much discrimination against superior talent."

"In the long run, there is not much discrimination against superior talent."

Carter G. Woodson, American Historian

Talent, Discrimination

23

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