Santayana's aphorism must be reversed: too often it is those who can remember the past who are condemned to repeat it. Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. More Quotes by Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. More Quotes From Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. Honest history is the weapon of freedom. Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. honest weapons history It is useful to remember that history is to the nation as memory is to the individual. As a person deprived of memory becomes disorientated and lost, not knowing where they have been or where they are going , so a nation denied a conception of the past will be disabled in dealing with its present and its future. Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. knowing memories past If we are to survive, we must have ideas, vision, and courage. These things are rarely produced by committees. Everything that matters in our intellectual and moral life begins with an individual confronting his own mind and conscience in a room by himself. Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. learning courage knowledge The first rule of democracy is to distrust all leaders who begin to believe their own publicity. Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. democracy leader believe The broad liberal objective is a balanced and flexible "mixed economy," thus seeking to occupy that middle ground between capitalism and socialism whose viability has so long been denied by both capitalists and socialists. Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. socialism libertarian long Science and Technology revolutionize our lives, but memory, tradition and myth frame our response. Expelled from individual consciousness by the rush of change, history finds its revenge by stamping the collective unconscious with habits, values, expectations, dreams. The dialectic between past and future will continue to form our lives. Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. revenge dream memories Clarity in language depends on clarity in thought. Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. clarity language writing I trust that a graduate student some day will write a doctoral essay on the influence of the Munich analogy on the subsequent history of the twentieth century. Perhaps in the end he will conclude that the multitude of errors committed in the name of Munich may exceed the original error of 1938. Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. errors names writing The basic human rights documents-the American Declaration of Independence and the French Declaration of the Rights of Man-were written by political, not by religious, leaders. Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. religious rights men In view of the tide of religiosity engulfing a once secular republic it is refreshing to be reminded by Freethinkers that free thought and skepticism are robustly in the American tradition. After all the Founding Fathers began by omitting God from the American Constitution. Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. republic views father The great religious ages were notable for their indifference to human rights... not only for acquiescence in poverty, inequality, exploitation and oppression, but also for enthusiastic justifications for slavery, persecution, abandonment of small children, torture, and genocide... Moreover, religion enshrined hierarchy, authority, and inequality... It was the age of equality that brought about the disappearance of such religious appurtenances as the auto-da-fe and burning at the stake. Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. religious rights children What we need is a rebirth of satire, of dissent, of irreverence, of an uncompromising insistence that phoniness is phony and platitudes are platitudinous. Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. irreverence deception needs People who claw their way to the top are not likely to find very much wrong with the system that enabled them to rise. Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. diversity justice people History is, indeed, an argument without end. Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. argument ends history Politics in a democracy is, at the end, an educational process. Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. democracy educational politician Problems will always torment us because all important problems are insoluble: that is why they are important. The good comes from the continuing struggle to try and solve them, not from the vain hope of their solution. Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. important struggle trying Those who are convinced they have a monopoly on The Truth always feel that they are only saving the world when they slaughter the heretics. Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. saving war world The passion for tidiness is the historian's occupational disease. Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. passion disease history Total separation of church and state was considered the best safeguard for the health of each. As [Andrew] Jackson explained, in refusing to name a fast day, he feared to 'disturb the security which religion now enjoys in this country, in its complete separation from the political concerns of the General Government.' Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. government names country Science and technology revolutionize our lives, but memory, tradition and myth frame our response. Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. technology memories science
