Theodore Zeldin

Quotes

• “The past is what provides us with the building blocks. Our job today is to create new buildings out of them.”
• “The violent have been victorious for most of history because they kindled the fear with which everyone is born.”
• “Even Gandhi, with all his charisma, did not "melt the hearts" of his oppressors, as he had hoped. After softening, hearts harden again. Asoka too was wrong to think that he was changing the course of history, and that his righteousness would last "as long as the sun and the moon."”
• “It takes a long time for people to recognize their soul-mates when they have too limited an idea of who they are themselves.”
• “No history of the world can be complete which does not mention Mary Helen Keller... whose overcoming of her blindness and deafness were arguably victories more important than those of Alexander the Great, because they have implications still for every living person.”

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Key dates

Born

22 August 1933

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Wikidata facts

Instance of

human

Gender

male

Citizenship

United Kingdom

Place of birth

Mandatory Palestine

Occupation

philosopher

Educated at

St Antony's College

Languages spoken

English language

Image

Théodore Zeldin-FIG 1998.jpg

via Wikidata · CC0