“The Russian drama began at the end of 1991, when the Soviet Union mercifully ended. Russia and 14 other new countries emerged from the ruins of the Soviet Union. Every one of those 15 new states faced a profound historical, economic, financial, social and political challenge.” EndsCountryStatesPoliticalSocialChallengesEconomicDramaUnionsHistoricalProfoundFinancialRussiaRuinsSovietSoviet Union Author:Jeffrey Sachs
“I don't think one can accurately measure the historical effectiveness of a poem; but one does know, of course, that books influence individuals; and individuals, although they are part of large economic and social processes, influence history. Every mass is after all made up of millions of individuals.” ThinkingKnowsDoeMadeBookCoursesIndividualSocialProcessMillionsInfluenceEconomicMassHistoricalEffectiveness Book:Light Up the Cave Source: Light Up the Cave
“The progressive historical role of capitalism may be summed up in two brief propositions: increase in the productive forces of social labour, and the socialisation of that labour. But both these facts manifest themselves in extremely diverse processes in different branches of the national economy.” MayTwoDifferentFactsForceSocialProcessRolesEconomyCapitalismIncreaseHistoricalBranchesProductiveLabourProgressiveManifestDiversePropositionsNational Economy Author:Vladimir Lenin
“Historical truth is that, and that alone, which reveals the forces that go to mould the social life of mankind.” ForceSocialMankindTruth IsHistoricalSocial LifeMouldHistorical Truth Author:Ahad Ha'am
“Complaints about the social irresponsibility of the intellectual typically concern the intellectual's tendency to marginalize herself, to move out from one community by interior identification of herself with some other community - for example, another country or historical period... It is not clear that those who thus marginalize themselves can be criticized for social irresponsibility. One cannot be irresponsible toward a community of which one does not think of oneself as a member. Otherwise runaway slaves and tunnelers under the Berlin Wall would be irresponsible.” ThinkingDoeCountryWould BeMovingSocialCommunityClearExampleWallPeriodsMembersIntellectualConcernHistoricalSlaveOneselfTendenciesComplaintsInteriorsIrresponsibleBerlinIdentificationRunawayIrresponsibilityBerlin Wall Author:Richard Rorty
“The usage of the words "public" and "public sphere" betrays a multiplicity of concurrent meanings. Their origins go back to various historical phases and, when applied synchronically to the conditions of a bourgeois society that is industrially advanced and constituted as a social-welfare state, they fuse into a clouded amalgam. Yet the very conditions that make the inherited language seem inappropriate appear to require these words, however confused their employment.” StatesSeemsLanguageSocialConditionsHistoricalVariousEmploymentWelfareConfusedSpheresBetrayPhasesBourgeoisInappropriateMultiplicityUsageWelfare StateFuseCloudedSocial Welfare Author:Jurgen Habermas
“As we have come to understand the psychology of evil, we have realized that such transformations of human character are not as rare as we would like to believe. Historical inquiry and behavioral science have demonstrated the "banality of evil" -- that is, under certain conditions and social pressures, ordinary people can commit acts that would otherwise be unthinkable.” PeopleBelieveHumansCharacterCertainEvilSocialPsychologyConditionsOrdinaryTransformationPressureHistoricalCommitInquiryOrdinary PeopleUnthinkableBanalitySocial Pressure Author:Philip Zimbardo
“The focus of all life is its economy, the mode through which every living creature produces its material existence. I know no other criterion for the evaluation of social life except that of social economy. In society, just like anywhere else, the mode of production is the focus around which revolve all the modes of life: in the historical life of conscious beings, it is also the focus of all modes of consciousness.” KnowsLife IsSocialExistenceConsciousnessEconomyFocusProduceMaterialsCreaturesConsciousHistoricalProductionsCriteriaSocial LifeLiving CreaturesEvaluation Author:Moses Hess
“Sociologists and historians have avoided looking for the family sources of wars and social violence. Whenever a group produces murderers, the early parental relationship must have been abusive and neglectful. Yet this elementary truth has not even begun to be considered in historical research; just stating that poor mothering lies behind wars seems blasphemous.” Has BeensWarSeemsLyingSocialPoorBehindsViolenceGroupsProduceSourceResearchHistoricalHistorianMurdererAvoidedParentalAbusiveMotheringSociologistsHistorical Research Author:Lloyd deMause
“On several occasions, we are informed that the professional ideal 'took steps', 'organised assaults', and 'selected social problems'. But this is anthropomorphic metaphor implausibly masquerading as historical explanation.” BookProblemLanguageSocialStepsIdealsHistoricalMetaphorOccasionsExplanationAssaultSelectedSocial ProblemsOrganised Book:History in Our Time Source: History in Our Time
“Genres have a history and impose a historical character upon the writer. What is interesting in the poem involves a certain kind of dramatization of the self that you don't have to engage in in the essay. In fact, the essay is a more social medium than the poem.” KindSelfCharacterFactsCertainSocialInterestingHistoricalMediumsGenreEssays Author:Vijay Seshadri
“The two most far-reaching critical theories at the beginning of the latest phase of industrial society were those of Marx and Freud. Marx showed the moving powers and the conflicts in the social-historical process. Freud aimed at the critical uncovering of the inner conflicts. Both worked for the liberation of man, even though Marx's concept was more comprehensive and less time-bound than Freud's.” MenTwoMovingSocialProcessTheoryConflictConceptsHistoricalBoundsCriticalLiberationReachingPhasesComprehensiveInner ConflictUncoveringCritical Theory Book:The art of being Source: The art of being
“Critics often point to historical issues such as slavery, upon which many Christians did act inconsistently, in an effort to invalidate Christian participation in contemporary social issues.” ChristianSocialReligiousEffortIssuesSlaveryHistoricalCriticsContemporaryParticipationSocial Issues Author:H. Wayne House