“We have invented machines to work for us, but have less spare labor than ever before for human service.”
Arnold J. Toynbee
Civilization on Trial (Primary source)
Civilization on Trial is a collection of thirteen essays, written over roughly two decades, that Toynbee binds together with a common outlook on the meaning of history. Though several pieces predate it, the book is preoccupied with the post-war moment, examining the moral and spiritual challenges facing humanity and arguing that Western civilization stands at a critical juncture.
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“History, in the objective meaning of the word, is the process of change; in the subjective meaning, it is the study of how and why one situation changes into another.”
— Arnold J. Toynbee Primary source“Technology is, of course, only a long Greek name for a bag of tools; and we have to ask ourselves: What are the tools that count in this competition in the use of tools as means to power?”
— Arnold J. Toynbee Primary source“Civilization, as we know it, is a movement and not a condition, a voyage and not a harbour.”
— Arnold J. Toynbee Primary source“The most obvious way of reconciling oneself to death is to make sure of enjoying life before death snatches it from us.”
— Arnold J. Toynbee Primary sourceMore quotes by Arnold J. Toynbee →
“If you know how to spend less than you get, you have the philosopher’s stone.”
— Benjamin Franklin Primary source“Never spend your money before you have it.”
— Thomas Jefferson Primary source“Money is a tool to be put to work.”
— A.P. Møller Disputed“Who can afford to do professional work for nothing?”
— Bill Gates Primary source