Will DurantReseñas

Is This An Overview?
Human behavior is affected by many factors. The values of the factors change, but the methods in history repeat, just with different details. Not much has changed in the character of people, as the desires are the same but expressed differently. Same strategies used but with different associations. Humans are evolutionary trained to be competitive for resources, for even cooperation is a tool and form of competition. Climate, geography, and nature can limit human capacity, but the limits were overcome by human ingenuity. Knowledge can be used to improve society, or decimate it. Making those who resist change as important as those who inspire change. Religion and government have been used to enable cooperation between people. Religion provides a moral code that is above even the most powerful people. Government enforces laws that provide freedom by restricting absolute freedom’s destructive capacity. Civilization is dependent on education, for civilization is not inherited.

What Are Some More Lessons Of History?
All historians are partial, for even those who think they are not, choose material and subjects based on their partiality. What normally makes history are the exceptional events, rather than most of history which is more mundane.

Moral laxity is not a sign of moral decay, but of a transitioning moral code. Religions rise and fall, only to be resurrected. Moral life used to be aided by religion, but contemporary society does not use religion.

War is the norm, and it part of the competitive process. The individual is restrained by morals and laws, but the state does not have such restraints.

Inequality is cyclical. An inevitable concentration of wealth, which can become intolerable that inspires the redistribution of wealth using various means. Dictators rise when wealth distribution is inappropriate. It was because power has been abused that lead to revolution that gave rise to democracy, which has taken its turn in misgovernance.

Caveats?
The focus is on broad categories, and describing their trends over the course of history. There is a lack of information on any specific society or era. This book prompts the reader to search for that information, and provides a way to interpret the events.

Gifted by Ariel Furman

The near three-quarters of a century from the end of the Thirty Years War to the death of Louis XIV saw the promise of French greatness being achieved then squandered allowing Britain to rise. The Age of Louis XIV is the eighth volume of The Story of Civilization series written by Will & Ariel Durant looking into the reign of the Sun King and how the politics and intellectual though rotated around him and France.

The book centered around France with the Netherlands, England/Britain, and the intellectual revolution for most of the text as well as the interaction between all of them over the course of the decades the Durants wrote about. While the rest of Europe is discussed, especially the continual rise of Russia during the reign of Peter the Great, the Durants give a good but brief synopsis of each location when not connected with the main portions of the book. The political, religious, and cultural developments of France and England were gone over in detail not only for their own history but how it affected the rest of the world. Yet for the Durants, especially Will, the portion of the book that the reader can tell they enjoyed writing and having a hard time holding back is the intellectual revolution in science and philosophy in the latter half of the 17th century and early 18th century. Not only are there chapters dedicated to Newton, Spinoza, and Leibniz but all the English political philosophers that have had influenced thought were covered in detail as well. A thorough reader of this series can tell that there is excitement and dedication to the intellectual revolution like that of the second volume of the series, The Life of Greece.

The Age of Louis XIV sees Will and Ariel Durant detailed not only the man who dominated a Europe undergoing an intellectual revolution but how he led his nation to disaster to the benefit of Britain.

O Will e a Ariel possuem uma prosa e uma habilidade para escrever história que mesmo depois de duas mil páginas (Nossa Herança Oriental e Nossa Herança Clássica) eu ainda me sinto disposto de encarar mais outras mil. Olha que eu sou um leitor de pouco fôlego e que história seja talvez um interesse menor meu, em comparação com ficção e outras coisas.

É, sobretudo, a personalidade deles, o método e a maneira de avançar nos tópicos que faz um livro de história da primeira metade do século passado ter tanto frescor. O Will com certeza se inspira nos historiadores antigos — Heródoto e Tucídides —, e a ajuda da Ariel faz com que ele não caia em muito dos problemas de outros historiadores antigos no trato das raças, do gênero, da sexualidade e, principalmente, do papel feminino na história. Desde o primeiro livro isso fica claro.

Para fazer A História da Civilização, por exemplo, "o casal Durant empregou a maior parte de seu tempo de trabalho (oito a quatorze horas diárias) ao livro ", e a dedicação foi tanta que "Para se prepararem melhor para a obra, Will Durant e a mulher viajaram pela Europa em 1927, deram a volta ao mundo em 1930, para estudar o Egito, o Oriente Próximo, índia, China e Japão, e novamente circularam a Terra em 1932, para visitar o Japão, a Manchúria, Sibéria, Rússia Europeia e Polônia.

Outro ponto que talvez me faça lê-los com tanto vigor é o método e o objetivo que eles possuem. O primeiro: escrever a história como "o estudo das principais fases da vida, do trabalho, da cultura [e da arte] de um povo, entrosadamente." Isso pauta muito do conteúdo. A gente lê muito sobre todo tipo de arte, trechos de literatura, referências a estatuária e a pintura, entre outros. O segundo ponto: eles enxergam o estudo da história como uma iluminação dos dias de hoje "[Will] nos recorda que os ditadores sempre usaram o mesmo métodos" e que fenômenos e acontecimentos antigos são atuais, como "agências bancárias, de fundos destinados a melhoramentos com fins políticos, depressão econômica, projetos e regulamentações governamentais, socialismo do Estado, planos prioritários de tempo de guerra, corrupção eleitoral, grupos de pressão, associações de classe e outros (...) e existem há pelo menos dois mil anos.

Agora, nesta entrada da série: a história de Roma e Cristo. O drama do maior império da história, que nenhum poeta conseguiria replicar ou fabricar. De uma aldeia de encruzilhada à dominação do mundo; e, então, a queda.

The near century between the death of John Calvin and the Council to Trent to the end of the Thirty Years War saw first religious intolerance and religious wars range across the continent until in the end politics trumped everything like it always does. The Age of Reason Begins is the seventh volume of The Story of Civilization series by Will & Ariel Durant as Protestants fight one another and both fight Catholics before eventually politics overrules everything and people begin to ignore religion.

This volume continues a trend of transitions that defined Early Modern Era highlighting a single nation, then the continent, and finally beginning of the return of “reason” over “religion”. The Durants began the rise of Great Britain from the reign of Elizabeth I to the death of Charles I as it transitioned from warring individual nations to nations united political though with significant differences that still needed to be worked out. Next, they followed the transition across the continent of various religious wars that saw either the rise or follow of great powers from prominence that ultimately went from how God was worshiped but what was politically more important. Then they completed the volume with the rise of science and slow return of now religious inspired philosophy. Even though the Durants focused on philosophy and scientific advances in the last 100 pages of the book, they did not neglect cultural developments in literature to theater to music to the development of scientific thought, it was in this area that one could tell Will Durant was enjoying writing. After three volumes in which Will Durant had to focus on religion more than he liked this volume a reader of the series could tell change in Will’s writing that could by a result of Ariel or Will love of philosophy and science.

The Age of Reason Begins is a transitional volume of Will Durant’s The Story of Civilization not only in the transition into the Early Modern Era but also the involvement of his wife Ariel as a cowriter.½

Dramatic and opinionated review of the great thought-leaders of the Western canon. Misinterpreted Hellenistic philosophy schools, in my mind. Nevertheless, presents history and philosophical questions with a flourish and entertaining style.

Classic Durant. Exhaustively detailed, delightfully opinionated.

Classic Durant. Exhaustively detailed, delightfully opinionated.

Classic Durant. Exhaustively detailed, delightfully opinionated.

Classic Durant. Exhaustively detailed, delightfully opinionated.

Mr. Durant covers the period between the reign of Elizabeth I of England and the beginning of Louis XIV's reign in France. The Stuarts, the Thirty Years War, and Richelieu all figure conspicuously herein. Durant manages to convey vast knowledge pleasantly, reasonably accurately, and completely.

Mr. Durant writes so plainly. One doesn't have to struggle to understand what his prose is meaning to convey. Nor does one have to struggle against the fear of falling asleep by the numbing academic language of a typical erudite book on this period.

Will Durant’s fifth Volume of An History of Civilisation celebrates 300 years of Italian culture from 1304-1576 A.D. Since the period, it covers astonishing detail regarding the subjects of war, death, religious war, religious death, art, artists sexual actions, artists avoiding war, artists dying, Popes, Kings, Peasantry at war, Popes having sex, Popes dying, Kings, Kings at war, Kings having sex, Kings dying, peasantry (apparently having unreported sex), diseases, and more war, sex, art (lots of art), and dying. Will Durant bring to this era the exquisite and exhausting detail for which all his books are known, so much so that I was constantly wondering how he possibly knew all of this? Regardless, he does, and he fashions all that knowledge into lengthy chapters such that each part constitutes a book-length treatise on key (if not fascinatingly monotonous) aspects of the Renaissance.

Although it took me a while to read this book, it was enjoyable and provided a wealth of information on the time and subject. The author approaches individuals and movements with a balanced perspective. Durant can be snobbishly critical in one chapter, while ten chapters are later entirely sympathetic. Of particular note, learning the etymology of everyday terms - banker, sterling, wedding, and testimony, among many others- was an interesting read and learning experience.

The Reformation was the outgrowth of and the downfall of the humanism of the Renaissance, together both movements ended the Middle Ages while dividing Europe civilization in the process. The Reformation is the sixth volume of Will Durant’s The Story of Civilization as he explores how the rest of Europe outside of Italy transitioned from the Middle Ages to the Early Modern Era as Christendom divided and as Europeans expanded their footprint across the world.

This volume is unique in Durant’s series as it was originally supposed to be combined with The Renaissance but given the length and depth of the research would have resulted almost twice the size of the longest book in the series. This volume is a continuation of The Age of Faith outside of Italy as well as paralleling the events through the end of the Council of Trent. After setting the stage for Luther’s protest in the first third of the book, Durant then turned to the period from Luther’s thesis to the death of John Calvin in which northern Christianity split away from Rome and developed into different sects aiming for reform, the final third of the book was Durant looking at Islam and Jewish developments followed by cultural accomplishments and then the Catholic Counter-Reformation. This volume was a change from previous volumes as Durant concentrated most of the text on a 50-year period instead of the ebbs and flows of history and society over the course of centuries. The fact that most of this period centered around religion, Durant is able for the most part to keep his contempt for belief at bay though he does go a little off in the Epilogue in synthesizing the developments of the Renaissance and the Reformation. Yet throughout the book, Durant notes that the religious developments were a reaction the pagan influences of the Renaissance along with the budding of nationalism that would be supercharged once the church came under the purview of the state.

The Reformation is a unique book as Will Durant must literally dedicate the majority of his writing towards religion instead of culture, yet he is able to hide his contempt to look how the reforming of Christianity influenced and was influenced by centralizing of various nation-states as Europe entered the Early Modern Era.½

Pasi punuan pesëdhjetë vjet për të përfunduar vëllimet e njohura të “Historisë së qytetërimit”, Will dhe Ariel Durant u vlerësuan me çmimin “Pulitzer” në vitin 1968, dhe u nderuan me “Medaljen Presidenciale të Lirisë” në vitin 1977.
Përveçse kanë edukuar dhe argëtuar lexuesit në të gjithë botën, ata janë shquar si mbrojtës të të drejtave të njeriut dhe përkrahës të reformave sociale.
Libri “Mësimet e historisë”, një studim përmbledhës i kulturës dhe qytetërimit të njerëzimit, është produkt i punës kërkimore të një jete të tërë nga historianët Will dhe Ariel Durant.
Teksa bëjnë një përmbledhje të filozofisë dhe progresit social, Will dhe Ariel Durant na shoqërojnë në një udhëtim nëpër histori, duke eksploruar mundësitë dhe kufizimet e njerëzimit në epoka të ndryshme.
Duke ballafaquar jetë, ide dhe arritje madhështore me cikle të luftës dhe pushtimit, autorët hedhin dritë mbi tema të jashtëzakonshme, të cilat i japin kuptim edhe historisë sonë.

The Italian Renaissance began in during the Middle Ages and with the Reformation in northern Europe ended the Middle Ages and brought about the beginnings of the Early Modern world that we live with today. The Renaissance is the fifth volume of Will Durant’s The Story of Civilization series as he explores the history, culture, and artistic achievements of the various Italian polities from Venice and Milan in the north to Florence and Rome in the center and Naples in the south and such individuals as Petrarch, Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Titian.

Taking up the historical narrative where he left off in the previous volume, Durant presents a wide-ranging survey of nearly three centuries worth of events, individuals, and artistic accomplishments while putting them all in context with one another. Not since the volume focusing on Greece has Durant’s prose brought across his excitement for covering a subject, mostly because of his meticulous descriptions on the artistic accomplishments of so many individuals that includes not only the very well-known to those we might only read about in this volume. Yet those lesser-known individuals are given such a treatment by Durant that readers could quickly search for images of their work on the Internet today to see why he is so passionate about them. Given Durant’s issues with problematic language and his seeming contempt of religion in previous volumes, those issues didn’t really come up until close to the end of the volume with the emergence of the domination of the Italian peninsula by the Spanish at the conclusion of the Italian Wars with Valois France.

The Renaissance features the best aspects of Will Durant’s prose as he lovingly gushes over the accomplishments of nearly three centuries of Italian culture even as it was politically divided which would lead to its eventual subjection to foreign rule.

A wonderful digest of greatest philosophical thinkers and their thoughts.

distill of Story of Civilization

This is volume 1 of the ambitious history compendium: Story of Civilization, by Will Durant. I'm still finding a good starting point to process the vast amount of information he has weaved, but the first chapter truly captures a unique observation from the author. I will come back to modify this review when the time is ripe.

The death of two men bookends the Middle Ages, one transformed the Roman Empire by injecting Christianity into the government and the other was the man who ended the reign of Latin in the literature of Italy to produce the greatest of medieval Christian books. The Age of Faith is the fourth volume of Will Durant’s The Story of Civilization series focusing on the end of the Western Roman Empire, the rise of Christian Europe, the zenith and slow decline of Byzantium, the birth and stagnation of Islamic civilization, and the continued resilience of Jewish faith and culture.

Unlike the previous volumes of the series, Durant does not need a prologue to introduce anything as the volume beings where the ends the death of Constantine. Over the course of a millennium from the death of the first Christian emperor to the death of Dante the champion of vernacular Italian and champion of the dream of a unified Italy. For Durant this millennium isn’t all about Christianity, but the rise and continuation of the Abrahamic religions so the rise of Islam and the blooming of Islamic civilization as well as the continuation of Judaism are significant portions of the volume and whose contributions would be interwoven into the medieval fabric in the 12th and 13th centuries. However, three-quarters of the volume shows how Christianity fought against, preserved, and built upon the classical heritage of Greece and Roman to form medieval Christendom in culture, science, art, and political theories. Yet, as with previous volumes Durant’s word usage can be problematic though as well as distaste for religion when comparing/contrasting it to philosophy even though he praises the sincerity of those that live their faith while showing the twists and turns of theological development that intertwined what those in power thought was orthodoxy in opposition to those who thought differently. Durant demonstrates that modern Europe is essentially still medieval either as it’s extension of classic antiquity that would birth the Renaissance or it’s civilized barbarity that would bring about a Reformation.

The Age of Faith was a millennium of decline, rebirth, preservation, innovation, of change and stability that was needed in Will Durant’s view before the coming of an “age of reason” that would bring about modernity.½

Nossa Herança Oriental (A História da Civilização #1) — ✲ 5.0/5.0
A velha mãe Àsia
1047 pp.

Quase cinco meses de leitura e por volta de novecentos e oitenta densas páginas (a última centena é "apenas" a extensa catalogação de notas, referências e bibliografia do autor), mas que de forma alguma me cansaram. Tanto que já vou emendar no próximo: Nossa Herança Clássica (Grécia)

Nossa Herança Oriental é um livro que todo mundo deveria ler, seja seu interesse pelas artes, literatura, política, guerras ou história. O fato de ter sido escrito em 1935 não incomoda, o Will é lúcido e pungente a todo tempo, principalmente quando o assunto é o contraste entre Ocidente e Oriente, mas também em muitos outros aspectos; chega um momento que você consegue sentir a ironia exalando de certos apontamentos e muitos excertos beiram o cômico (intencionalmente), brincando com a visão ocidental e americanizada da história com H maiúsculo.

Além disso, o fato de ter sido escrito antes da Segunda Guerra, torna certos apontamentos do Will ainda mais interessantes. Não sei se foi era a aura do momento ou se esse era o pensamento geral da época, mas no capítulo sobre o Japão, desde o início, da sua forçada modernização por parte de exigências (explícitas e implícitas) do Ocidente, Will praticamente crava que o que se seguiria seria algum tipo de guerra, retaliação, entre Japão, Estados Unidos e Rússia.

A prosa e a seleção do autor sobre o que mostrar das antiquíssimas sociedades é um deleite, desde Elam até a China, e vossas respectivas letras, guerras e artes. Eu aposto: é impossível você terminar de ler esse livro sem ter feito, no mínimo, umas cinquenta anotações ou destaques. É de longe o melhor e mais interessante livro de “história” — na verdade, é muito mais que só um livro de história — que já li.

A única ressalva é quanto aos primeiros capítulos, ainda sim interessantes, mas que tateiam sobre as Fundações da Civilização, o que o faz ficar muito nas suposições. Mas conforme avança e mais fatos e informações temos, o livro tende a melhorar. O interesse próprio do leitor tornará certos capítulos melhores e mais interessantes que outros, mas todos os capítulos, e a tentativa de apreender e passear por milhares de anos da civilização é louvável: Suméria, Egito, Babilônia, Assíria, com um Interlúdio (Hititas, Fenícios, Frígios e outros Semitas), e então Judéia, Pérsia, Índia, China e Japão. É em tamanho, escopo e em qualidade, um livrasso.

Tenho quase umas duzentas anotações nesses livro, mas é melhor concluir com uma parte da própria conclusão do Will e da Ariel:

"A Europa e a América são as filhas, muito estragadas de mimos, da velha Ásia, e nunca perceberam a riqueza de sua herança pré-clássica. Mas se fizermos a conta das artes e processos que o Ocidente tomou do Oriente ou que apareceram primeiro no Oriente, ver-nos-ermos, sem o perceber, desenhando um esboço da [nossa] civilização"

1962 Times Reading Program Special Edition, Times Inc. New York
Plato,Aristotle ,Francis Bacon, Spinoza, Voltaire, Immanuel Kant, Schopenhauer ,Herbert Spencer,Freidrich Nietzsche,
Contemporary European, Contemporary American

CUPRINS

PREFATA LA EDITIA A DOUA - Apologia Pro Libro Suo - pag.5

Nota catre cititor - pag.13

INTRODUCERE - Despre utilizarile filosofiei - pag.14

CAPITOLUL I - Platon - pag. 19
i. Contextul lui Platon - pag.19
ii. Socrate - pag. 22
iii. Pregatirea lui Platon - pag. 30
iv. Problema etica pag. 33
v. Problema politica - pag. 36
vi. Problema psihologica - pag. 39
vii. Solutia psihologica - pag. 40
viii. Solutia politica - pag. 48
ix. Solutia etica - pag. 53
x. Critici - pag. 55

CAPITOLUL II - Aristotel si stiinta greceasca - pag. 63
i. Fundalul istoric - pag. 63
ii. Opera lui Aristotel - pag. 67
iii. Intemeierea logicii - pag. 71
iv. Organizarea stiintei - pag. 75
1. Stiinta greaca inainte de Aristotel - pag. 75
2. Aristotel ca naturalist - pag. 77
3. Intemeierea biologiei - pag. 78
v. Metafizica si natura divinitatii - pag. 81
vi. Psihologia si natura artei - pag. 84
vii. Etica si natura fericirii - pag. 86
viii. Politica - pag. 91
1. Comunism si conservatorism - pag. 91
2. Casnicia si educatia - pag. 94
3. Democratie si aristocratie - pag. 98
ix. Critici - pag. 101
x. Ultima parte a vietii si moartea - pag. 104

CAPITOLUL III - Francis Bacon - pag. 107
i. De la Aristotel la Renastere - pag. 107
ii. Cariera politica a lui Francis Bacon - pag. 116
iii. Eseurile - pag. 120
iv. Marea reconstructie - pag. 129
1. Progresul cunoasterii - pag. 130
2. Noul Organon - pag. 138
3. Utopia stiintei - pag. 144
v. Critici - pag. 147
vi. Epilog - pag. 152

CAPITOLUL IV - Spinoza - pag. 155
i. Prezentare istorica si biografica - pag. 155
1. Odiseea evreilor - pag. 155
2. Educatia lui Spinoza - pag. 157
3. Excomunicarea - pag. 160
4. Retragerea si moartea - pag. 162
ii. Tratatul teologico-politic - pag. 169
iii. Indreptarea intelectului - pag.172
iv. Etica - pag. 175
1. Natura si Dumnezeu - pag. 177
2. Materie si minte - pag. 182
3. Inteligenta si morala - pag. 185
4. Religie si nemurire - pag. 193
v. Tratatul politic - pag. 196
vi. Influenta lui Spinoza - pag. 202

CAPITOLUL V - Voltaire si Iluminismul francez - pag. 206
i. Paris: Oedip - pag. 206
ii. Londra: Scrisori catre englezi - pag. 213
iii. Cirey: Povestirile - pag. 215
iv. Potsdam si Frederick - pag. 221
v. Les Délices: Eseurile despre morala - pag. 225
vi. Ferney: Candid - pag. 228
vii. Enciclopedia si Dictionarul Filosofic - pag. 235
viii. Ecrasez l’infame - pag. 239
ix. Voltaire si Rousseau - pag. 247
x. Dénouement - pag. 253

CAPITOLUL VI - Immanuel Kant si idealismul german - pag. 257
i. Drumuri catre Kant - pag. 257
1. de la Voltaire la Kant - pag. 258
2. de la Locke la Kant - pag. 259
3. de la Rousseau la Kant - pag. 263
ii. Kant insusi - pag. 265
iii. Critica ratiunii pure - pag. 268
1. Estetica transcendentala - pag. 270
2. Analitica transcendentala - pag. 273
3. Dialectica transcendentala - pag. 274
iv. Critica ratiunii practice - pag. 278
v. Despre religie si ratiune - pag. 281
vi. Despre politica si pacea eterna - pag. 284
vii. Critici si aprecieri - pag. 287
viii. O nota despre Hegel - pag. 293

CAPITOLUL VII - Schopenhauer - pag. 300
i. Epoca - pag. 300
ii. Omul - pag. 302
iii. Lumea ca reprezentare - pag. 307
iv. Lumea ca vointa - pag. 311
1. Vointa de a trai - pag. 311
2. Vointa de reproducere - pag. 317
v. Lumea ca rau - pag. 322
vi. Intelepciunea vietii - pag. 329
1. Filosofia - pag. 329
2. Geniul - pag. 333
3. Arta - pag. 335
4. Religia - pag. 337
vii. Intelepciunea mortii - pag. 339
viii. Critici - pag. 342

CAPITOLUL VIII - Herbert Spencer - pag. 349
i. Comte si Darwin - pag. 349
ii. Dezvoltarea lui Spencer - pag. 353
iii. Primele principii - pag. 361
1. Necunoscutul - pag. 361
2. Evolutia - pag. 363
iv. Biologia: evolutia vietii - pag. 367
v. Psihologia: evolutia spiritului - pag. 370
vi. Sociologia: evolutia societatii - pag. 372
vii. Etica: evolutia moralei - pag. 380
viii. Critici - pag. 387
1. Primele principii - pag. 388
2. Biologia si psihologia - pag. 390
3. Sociologia si etica - pag. 391
ix. Concluzie - pag. 393

CAPITOLUL IX - Friedrich Nietzsche - pag. 396
i. Mostenirea lui Nietzsche - pag. 396
ii. Tineretea - pag. 397
iii. Nietzsche si Wagner - pag. 401
iv. Cantecul lui Zarathustra - pag. 407
v. Moralitatea eroului - pag. 412
vi. Supraomul - pag. 418
vii. Decadenta - pag. 422
viii. Aristocratia - pag. 425
ix. Critici - pag. 431
x. Final - pag. 438

CAPITOLUL X - Filosofi contemporani europeni: Bergson, Croce si Bertrand Russell - pag. 441
i. Henri Bergson - pag. 441
1. Revolta impotriva materialismului - pag. 441
2. Minte si materie - pag. 443
3. Evolutia creatoare - pag. 450
4. Critici - pag. 455
ii. Benedetto Croce - pag. 459
1. Omul - pag. 459
2. Filosofia spiritului - pag. 461
3. Ce este frumusetea?- pag. 464
4. Critici - pag. 466
iii. Bertrand Russell - pag. 467
1. Logicianul - pag. 467
2. Reformatorul - pag. 472
3. Epilog - pag. 475

CAPITOLUL XI - Filosofi americani contemporani: Santayana, James si Dewey - pag. 478
Introducere - pag. 478
i. George Santayana - pag. 480
1. Biografia - pag. 480
2. Scepticismul si credinta animala - pag. 481
3. Ratiunea in stiinta - pag. 483
4. Ratiunea in religie - pag. 487
5. Ratiunea in societate - pag. 490
6. Comentariu - pag. 495
ii. William James - pag. 498
1. Elemente personale - pag. 498
2. Pragmatismul - pag. 500
3. Pluralismul - pag. 502
4. Comentariu - pag. 507
iii. John Dewey - pag. 509
1. Educatia - pag. 509
2. Instrumentalismul - pag. 511
3. Stiinta si politica - pag. 514

CONCLUZIE - pag. 518

Glosar - pag. 520

A little village on an inconsequential river eventually expands to command the entire Mediterranean basin and Western Europe creating an economical and cultural exchange while their homeland disintegrated allowing their conquests to eventually rule over them in politics, culture, and religion. Caesar and Christ is the third volume of Will Durant’s The Story of Civilization series focusing on the rise of the Roman Empire and it’s conquest from within by Christianity.

As with the previous two volumes, Durant began the book with a prologue of sorts this time focusing on the Etruscans and other early Italians that would be subsumed by Rome. Covering roughly a millennium of time from the reputed founding of the city in 753 B.C. to the reign of Constantine, Durant covered all aspects of the development of Roman society from government to architecture to religion and philosophy to military conquest to societal and economical interplay. Once on the verge of the Christian era, Durant begins alluding to the conditions in Roman society and religion that would allow Christianity to grow before focusing on the development of Christianity from Jesus’ ministry to Constantine’s conversion. Though comprehensive in his material Durant’s phrasing was problematic due to his use of the ”Roman race” throughout the book, given the original publishing date was in 1944 this suggestion very outdated thinking about the development of human societies. Another important analysis from Durant’s description of the spread of Christianity was the Church’s absorption of practices from other religions that would come to the fore 1200 years later.

Caesar and Christ details the most impactful political and religious institutions that still resonate today in the West.½