I wrote this book because I had formed a strong impression that the people currently living were paying insufficient attention to the dead.
Niall Ferguson Civilization: The West...
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Niall Ferguson's book, "Civilization: The West and the Rest," emphasizes the importance of understanding historical figures and societies. He argues that contemporary society often overlooks the lessons and influences of the past, which can lead to misunderstandings of our current cultural and societal structures. Ferguson's exploration reveals how past civilizations have shaped modern Western society, providing crucial insights that could guide present-day decisions.

The author expresses a conviction that acknowledging the contributions and experiences of those who came before us is vital for a well-rounded view of history. By stating that people today give insufficient attention to the deceased, Ferguson highlights the need for a deeper engagement with historical narratives to inform our understanding of progress and civilization. His work encourages readers to reflect on the consequences of neglecting history.

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Other quotes in Civilization: The West and the Rest

by the second decade of the twentieth century the gap in living standards between London and Beijing was around six to one, compared with two to one in the eighteenth century.36
Niall Ferguson Civilization: The West...
by the second decade of the twentieth century the gap in living standards between London and Beijing was around six to one, compared with two to one in the eighteenth century.36
In 1800 seven out of the world's ten biggest cities had still been Asian, and Beijing had still exceeded London in size. By 1900, largely as a result of the Industrial Revolution, only one of the biggest was Asian; the rest were European or American.
Niall Ferguson Civilization: The West...
In 1800 seven out of the world's ten biggest cities had still been Asian, and Beijing had still exceeded London in size. By 1900, largely as a result of the Industrial Revolution, only one of the biggest was Asian; the rest were European or American.
In 1515 a decree of Sultan Selim I had threatened with death anyone found using the printing press.36 This failure to reconcile Islam with scientific progress was to prove disastrous. Having once provided European scholars with ideas and inspiration, Muslim scientists were now cut off from the latest research. If the Scientific Revolution was generated by a network, then the Ottoman Empire was effectively offline.
Niall Ferguson Civilization: The West...
In 1515 a decree of Sultan Selim I had threatened with death anyone found using the printing press.36 This failure to reconcile Islam with scientific progress was to prove disastrous. Having once provided European scholars with ideas and inspiration, Muslim scientists were now cut off from the latest research. If the Scientific Revolution was generated by a network, then the Ottoman Empire was effectively offline.
My generation feels like it's the lucky one,' she told me one night. 'Our grandparents had the Great Leap Forward, our parents had the Cultural Revolution. But we get to study, to travel, to make money. So I guess we really don't think that much about the Square thing.
Niall Ferguson Civilization: The West...
My generation feels like it's the lucky one,' she told me one night. 'Our grandparents had the Great Leap Forward, our parents had the Cultural Revolution. But we get to study, to travel, to make money. So I guess we really don't think that much about the Square thing.
The Japan in which Hiro-Hito reached adulthood was a country that admired the West for his modernity while resenting against him for his arrogance. It seemed that, to be treated as an equal, Japan would also have to acquire the last of Western accessories: an empire.
Niall Ferguson Civilization: The West...
The Japan in which Hiro-Hito reached adulthood was a country that admired the West for his modernity while resenting against him for his arrogance. It seemed that, to be treated as an equal, Japan would also have to acquire the last of Western accessories: an empire.
Instead of coaligating in an impoverished mass, the proletariat was subdivided between qualified "workers' aristocracies" and a vicious lumopenproletarian. The first preferred strikes and collective bargaining to the revolution {...}, the second preferred the gin.
Niall Ferguson Civilization: The West...
Instead of coaligating in an impoverished mass, the proletariat was subdivided between qualified "workers' aristocracies" and a vicious lumopenproletarian. The first preferred strikes and collective bargaining to the revolution {...}, the second preferred the gin.
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Other quotes in perspective

If you can see everything in all directions, there is no such thing as up or down, left or right.
Amjad Khan
If you can see everything in all directions, there is no such thing as up or down, left or right.
Whatever your problems may be, they pale in insignificance in the light of eternity. No matter how great your failures, God's grace is greater still. Lift up your heart and face life head-on.
Prince Akwarandu
Whatever your problems may be, they pale in insignificance in the light of eternity. No matter how great your failures, God's grace is greater still. Lift up your heart and face life head-on.
Plato dramatically puts the detachment of the philosopher from his time this way: to philosophize is to prepare to die.
Rebecca Goldstein Plato at the Googleplex:...
Plato dramatically puts the detachment of the philosopher from his time this way: to philosophize is to prepare to die.
I have a Greek-American friend who named her daughter "Nike" and is often asked why she chose to name her offspring after a sneaker.
Rebecca Goldstein Plato at the Googleplex:...
I have a Greek-American friend who named her daughter "Nike" and is often asked why she chose to name her offspring after a sneaker.
If there is such a thing as philosophical progress, then why – unlike scientific progress – is it so invisible? Philosophical progress is invisible because it is incorporated into our points of view. What was torturously secured by complex argument comes widely shared intuition, so obvious that we forget its provenance.
Rebecca Goldstein Plato at the Googleplex:...
If there is such a thing as philosophical progress, then why – unlike scientific progress – is it so invisible? Philosophical progress is invisible because it is incorporated into our points of view. What was torturously secured by complex argument comes widely shared intuition, so obvious that we forget its provenance.
We spread our sleeping bags on the snow and crawled inside. The vantage point was dizzying. It was impossible to tell whether the comet was above us or we were above the comet; we were all falling through space, missing the stars by inches.
Anne Fadiman At Large and at Small:...
We spread our sleeping bags on the snow and crawled inside. The vantage point was dizzying. It was impossible to tell whether the comet was above us or we were above the comet; we were all falling through space, missing the stars by inches.
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