Of the twenty-two civilizations that have appeared in history, nineteen of them collapsed when they reached the moral state the United States is in now.
Arnold J. ToynbeeRead
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... we invariably find that the cause of death has been either War or Class or some combination of the two.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Civilizations often fall due to conflict or social inequality.
In this quote, Arnold J. Toynbee reflects on the fate of various civilizations throughout history, suggesting that the predominant reasons for their decline relate to war and class struggles. He argues that these factors create instability and ultimately lead to the collapse of societies, with our own civilization appearing to be an exception amidst a pattern of historical demise.
Themes
CivilizationWarClassDeclineHistory
In practice
Example use cases
In a lecture on the rise and fall of empires, Toynbee's quote serves as a cautionary tale.
More from Arnold J. Toynbee
All quotes βIt is a paradoxical but profoundly true and important principle of life that the most likely way to reach a goal is to be aiming not at that goal itself but at some more ambitious goal beyond it.
Arnold J. ToynbeeRead
No being can be what he is unless he is putting his essence into action in his field.
Arnold J. ToynbeeRead
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. ToynbeeRead
I do not believe that civilizations have to die because civilization is not an organism. It is a product of wills.
Arnold J. ToynbeeRead
Sooner or later, man has always had to decide whether he worships his own power or the power of God.
Arnold J. ToynbeeRead
Similar quotes
Wars produce many stories of fiction, some of which are told until they are believed to be true.
Ulysses S. GrantRead
My mother was born in your state, Mr. Walter, and my mother was a Quaker, and my ancestors in the time of Washington baked bread for George Washington's troops when they crossed the Delaware, and my own father was a slave.
Paul RobesonRead
Open your refrigerator door, and you summon forth more light than the total amount enjoyed by most households in the 18th century. The world at night, for much of history, was a very dark place indeed.
Bill BrysonRead
The Great War differed from all ancient wars in the immense power of the combatants and their fearful agencies of destruction, and from all modern wars in the utter ruthlessness with which it was fought.
Winston ChurchillRead
The history of the world - by which, of course, we mean Europe - is a record of intertribal lacerations, of ethnic cleansings.
Derek WalcottRead
I prefer my history dead. Dead history is writ in ink, the living sort in blood.
George R. R. MartinRead