Heroes in history

Author: Durant [US] / Wang Qin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: Will Durant has always strived to present to the world the "thought realm" he deeply loved and dedicated his life to, and The Heroes in History is his blessing and final will for the "thought realm." Through Durant's linguistic charm, our souls are summoned into this mysterious realm. There, historical heroes stroll with us, telling us about life, love, war, poetry, and thought. They grant us a greater and nobler perspective, enabling us to understand patience and wisdom, and to yearn for a more profound life. Durant agrees with Nietzsche's view that "all philosophy has been drowned by history," but on the other hand, he insists that the best foundation for understanding the real world is to study the past, because only in history can you discover what people's true nature is. Throughout the book, Durant's philosophical attitude is evident. In this book, Durant also reveals many historical lessons he feared, covering issues such as religion, politics, and social problems like class struggle, as well as the controversial debate about the survival of homosexuality in the military. The book presents a candid, relaxed, and vivid Durant, who speaks about historical sexuality, politics, and religion—topics that most historians dislike or avoid, even when discussing them, they only use exaggerated scientific terms. Additionally, in this final work, Will Durant writes in the first person, often revealing a personal, last-will-like emotion when discussing themes of great significance to him. The central theme of all of Durant's works is to demonstrate how the development of civilization has driven human progress. This idea has been effectively judged in the court of history—if we have the time to focus on the historical process rather than spending excessive time on theoretical abstractions about philosophical topics. For example, whether wealth concentrated in the hands of a few should be redistributed to the general public? History provides many concrete examples, vividly answering whether such principles can lead to ideal outcomes or instead cause external disasters.