NETANYAHU HATERS DEBUNKED
- Graham Healy
- Mar 22
- 1 min read
NETANYAHU HATERS DEBUNKED
Misquoted from excerpts from the book Lessons of History by Will and Ariel Durant
The Lessons of History (1968) by Will and Ariel Durant is a concise 120-page distillation of lessons learned from their eleven-volume The Story of Civilization. It examines 5,000 years of human experience to identify recurring patterns in geography, biology, morals, and government, arguing that human nature remains consistent despite technological progress.
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Key Themes and Insights:
Biology is Key: History is a fragment of biology; life is competition, and competition breeds inequality.
Human Nature Constant: Fundamental motives and desires do not change; successful revolutions often adopt the methods they condemned.
Freedom and Equality: "Nature smiles at the union of freedom and equality in our utopias. For freedom and equality are sworn and everlasting enemies, and when one prevails the other dies".
Morality and Civilization: Morality changes based on economic conditions (e.g., agricultural vs. industrial) and is not enough to ensure survival if a civilization lacks the power to defend itself.
Governmental Cycles: Democracy is seen as the most difficult form of government, requiring high levels of intelligence. History suggests a cycle where democracy leads to concentration of wealth, which in turn leads to monarchy or oligarchy.
Progress: Progress is defined as the increasing abundance, preservation, and application of human heritage, rather than a change in human nature.
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The book, which won the Pulitzer Prize, offers a philosophical overview, encouraging readers to view history not just as warnings, but as inspiration.
