Quotes from book
A Study of History

Name: A Study of History
Author: Arnold J. Toynbee

A Study of History is a 12-volume universal history by the British historian Arnold J. Toynbee, published in 1934–61. It received enormous popular attention but according to historian Richard J. Evans, "enjoyed only a brief vogue before disappearing into the obscurity in which it has languished." Toynbee's goal was to trace the development and decay of 19 world civilizations in the historical record, applying his model to each of these civilizations, detailing the stages through which they all pass: genesis, growth, time of troubles, universal state, and disintegration.

“On this showing, the nature of the breakdowns of civilizations can be summed up in three points: a failure of creative power in the minority, an answering withdrawal of mimesis on the part of the majority, and a consequent loss of social unity in the society as a whole.”

Arnold J. Toynbee book A Study of History

Vol. 4 (1948), part B, p. 6.
A Study of History (1934–1961)

“The value of the goal lies in the goal itself; and therefore the goal cannot be attained unless it is pursued for its own sake.”

Arnold J. Toynbee book A Study of History

A Study of History (1934–1961)

“There is no such thing as gratitude in international politics.”

Arnold J. Toynbee book A Study of History

A Study of History (1934–1961)

“So-called racial characteristics are not really racial at all but are due to the historical experiences of the communities in question.”

Arnold J. Toynbee book A Study of History

A Study of History (1934–1961)