Home / Quotes / Quote by Johan Huizinga

Quote by Johan Huizinga

“Culture requires in the first place a certain balance of material and spiritual values.”

Author

Dutch historian known for his research in cultural and art history. Johan Huizinga was born on December 7, 1872, and died on February 1, 1945. His works have had a profound impact on subsequent historical and sociological studies. more

“Today the average inhabitant of the western hemisphere knows a little of everything. He has the newspaper on his breakfast table and wireless within reach. For the evening there is the film, cards, or a meeting to complete a day spent in the office or factory where nothing that is essential has been learnt. With slight variation this picture of a low cultural average holds good over the entire range from factory-hand of clerk to manager or director. Only the personal will to culture, in whatever field and however pursued raises modern man above this level.”

“William James once said: "Progress is a terrible thing." It is more than that: it is also a highly ambiguous notion. For who knowsbut that a little further on the way a bridge may not have collapsed or a crevice split the earth?”

Way May Littles Said Earth Progress Terrible Notion Bridges Splits Terrible Things Ambiguous Crevice

Author:Johan Huizinga

“If the Americans, in addition to the eagle and the Stars and Stripes and the more unofficial symbols of bison, moose and Indian, should ever need another emblem, one which is friendly and pleasant, then I think they should choose the grapefruit. Or rather the half grapefruit, for this fruit only comes in halves, I believe. Practically speaking, it is always yellow, always just as fresh and well served. And it always comes at the same, still hopeful hour of the morning.”

Ifs Thinking Needs Should Believe Wells Stills America I Believe Stars Hours Half Morning Fruit Symbols Indian Pleasant Hopeful Friendly Yellow Eagles Stripes Emblems Moose Grapefruit Bison

Author:Johan Huizinga

“Most thoughtful Americans of today seem to have forgotten how strongly their own and immediate predecessors, Emerson, Hawthorne and Whitman, were still preoccupied with the essence behind things.”

Stills Seems Today America Behinds Essence Forgotten Thoughtful Predecessors Hawthorne

Author:Johan Huizinga

“Under weak government, in a wide, thinly populated country, in the struggle against the raw natural environment and with the freeplay of economic forces, unified social groups become the transmitters of culture.”

Country Government America Culture Force Social Natural Struggle Environment Groups Economic Weak Wide Unified Natural Environment Social Groups Weak Government

Author:Johan Huizinga

“Physical nature lies at our feet shackled with a hundred chains. What of the control of human nature? Do not point to the triumphsof psychiatry, social services or the war against crime. Domination of human nature can only mean the domination of every man by himself.”

Men Humans Mean War Lying Social Feet Human Nature Crime Hundred Every Man Chains Domination Psychiatry Social Service

Author:Johan Huizinga

“The things which can make life enjoyable remain the same. They are, now as before, reading, music, fine arts, travel, the enjoyment of nature, sports, fashion, social vanity (knightly orders, honorary offices, gatherings) and the intoxication of the senses.”

Art Order Reading Social Sports Music Fashion Fine Travel Office Senses Vanity Enjoyment Enjoy Life Gathering Enjoyable Fine Arts Intoxication Honorary Reading Music

Author:Johan Huizinga

“Without metaphor the handling of general concepts such as culture and civilization becomes impossible, and that of disease and disorder is the obvious one for the case in point. Is not crisis itself a concept we owe to Hippocrates? In the social and cultural domain no metaphor is more apt than the pathological one.”

Culture Social Cases Impossible Civilization Disease Concepts Crisis Metaphor Obvious Disorder Domain

Author:Johan Huizinga

“It's extraordinary how self-obsessed human beings are. The things that people always go on about is, 'tell us about us', 'tell us about the first human being'. We are so self-obsessed with our own history. There is so much more out there than what connects to us.”

People Firsts Humans Self Human Beings Goes On Extraordinary Obsessed Self Obsessed

Author:David Attenborough

“Nelson's famous signal before the Battle of Trafalgar was not: "England expects that every man will be a hero." It said: "Englandexpects that every man will do his duty." In 1805 that was enough. It should still be.”

Men Should Said Stills Enough Duty Hero Battle England Every Man Signals Nelson

Author:Johan Huizinga

Quote by Johan Huizinga

Author

You May Also Like