NEW DURANT BOOK:
AN INVITATION TO PHILOSOPHY:
Essays and Talks on the Love of Wisdom
It comes from the Greek words meaning “love
of wisdom.” In English, it is called philosophy – the
study of the most important and enduring questions of the human
race. Questions like, “What is reality?” “How
do I know?” “Is there a God?” “What happens
when I die?” (among others) have intrigued mankind for millenniums
and continue to pique the interest of eager seekers after truth.
Perhaps more so than any other discipline, philosophy is best
understood as a dialogue between ourselves and the great minds
of the past – a dialogue that has endured for thousands
of years.
Drawing upon Will
Durant’s essays, as well as never-before-published talks
and dialogues on philosophy and philosophers, An Invitation
To Philosophy presents a magnificent overview of the major
branches of philosophy, their problems and capabilities, as well
as brief profiles of four of the discipline’s most inspirational
representatives (Confucius, Socrates, Plato and Giordano Bruno). An
Invitation to Philosophy is a compass and guide to navigating
the moral ocean of the human soul, in addition to being the definitive
presentation of the philosophy of Will Durant, who makes an eloquent
case for the very need of philosophy in our daily life:
Without philosophy, without that total vision which
unifies purposes and establishes the hierarchy of desires,
we fritter away our social heritage in cynical corruption on
the one hand, and in revolutionary madness on the other; we
abandon in a moment our pacific idealism and plunge into the
cooperative suicide of war; we have a hundred thousand politicians,
and but a single statesman. We move about the earth with unprecedented
speed, but we do not know, and have not thought, where we are
going, or whether we shall find any happiness there for our
harassed souls. We are being destroyed by our knowledge, which
has made us drunk with our power. And we shall not be saved
without wisdom.
-- Will Durant (from Chapter One)
To order your
copy now, please follow follow this link.
LOST DURANT
AUDIOS RELEASED
The past year has brought a number of developments
concerning the legacy of Will and Ariel Durant. On of the most
exciting new developments is the release of "The Heroes
of Civilization", a series of previously unreleased recordings
by the Durants. In this interview, Durant Estate historian
John Little gives us some details on this developing project.
Okay John, tell us about these audio recordings
you have been working on. What are they and how did
they come about?
They were the genesis of the book "Heroes
of History." Four years prior to their passing, Will Durant
set about - at the tender age of 92 - writing the scripts for
these talks, which would grow to 21 in length. At the urging
of their daughter, Ethel, in the Spring and Summer of 1977, Will
and Ariel invited a professional audio crew into their home in
Los Angeles with the result that 14 talks were recorded onto
audio tape. Upon completion, Will's passion for writing returned,
and he set about writing 7 additional talks, which he then decided
to edit into a book to be called "Heroes of History" which,
as you know, was released by Simon and Schuster in November of
2001. When the Durants passed away in 1981, their daughter was
too emotionally attached to the project to complete it, and when
she passed away several years later, the audio recordings were
put into storage with the rest of the Durant's personal affects
- where they remained unnoticed and unknown until I happend upon
them in the winter of 2000. The Durant tapes would ultimately
survive three moves and a major flood prior to their discovery,
after which an extensive preservation and restoration campaign
was undertaken that proved successful in salvaging the recordings,
save for the ending paragraphs of three of the 14 talks, which
were later re-read by me. Now, 25 years after their creation,
this last project that the Durants worked on together is ready
to be released to the public. I've spent the past year and a
half restoring and editing the tapes and even had new music scored
for each talk, which was composed specifically for the project
by Wayne Hawkins, an incredible composer/musician from Kansas
City.
What do
you feel is special about these tapes?
Well, the first thing is that these tapes now make it
possible for future generations to learn the wonders of history
directly from Will and Ariel Durant themselves. The Durants'
books, of course, have sold in excess of 23 million copies and
been a staple in American homes for generations, in addition
to being a source of education and enjoyment for tens of millions
of readers the world over. But never before has an opportunity
existed for people to listen to the Durants' enchanting brand
of history first-hand - until now. To learn directly from the
greatest in their field is an opportunity rarely afforded. These
tapes, I believe, represent a chance for the listener to learn
history firsthand from two of the most heralded historical scholars
and educators of all time, and an opportunity to benefit from
the far reaching wisdom and keen insights of two individuals
who spent over one half a century perfecting their craft. The
Durants bring history alive, humanize its vast panorama, and
illuminate the present with the lessons learned from the past.
The Heroes of Civilization audio series provides the
listener with the knowledge and power that comes from a first-class
education - without requiring one to spend decades of one's life
and thousands of dollars to obtain it, allowing you to learn
at your own pace and in a manner that will benefit you and your
children.
How do
you plan to release them?
At present, the plan
is to release them exclusively through the Will Durant On-Line
web site. However, several audio companies have expressed a keen
interest in acquiring the rights to them, which would probably
result in a broader distribution. I would also like to market
them to National Public Radio, libraries and educational institutions
as, along with the "Heroes of History" book, they are
a tremendously compelling, entertaining and highly beneficial
way to learn history.
What insights
do they bring to the Durant legacy?
They bring tremendous
insights into the Durant legacy. Imagine the mind and the mental
acuity required to craft these talks -- I counted over 521 separate
subjects that were covered in these 14 talks, all loaded with
details and life lessons -- at the age of 92! I hope I can remember
my own name when I'm that age! Will Durant, however, is sharp
as a tack, witty -- very funny, actually -- while at the same
time dropping these pearls of wisdom that subtly reveal his half
century of intensive scholarship in history and philosophy. That
this was the Durants' last project is also of immense interest
historically and the release of these tapes is of paramount importance
to their legacy. They are, as I eluded to earlier, the closest
thing we have to spending time with Will and Ariel, and learning
the great lessons they had to teach us directly from them --
rather than through an intermediary or actor, as in the case
of some of their books having been rendered onto tape. These
tapes are the genuine article; the real McCoy. All told, there
is over seven-and-a-half hours of audio of the Durants themselves
in these tapes, which is the equivalent of spending almost eight
hours in their company to learn the great lessons that history
has to teach. These are classes you will never tire of attending,
and talks that you will profit from listening to again and again.
The Heroes of History audio series is an invaluable gift for
young and old alike -- the gift of our religious, Asian, and
Classical heritage. Our birthright as human beings. These are
talks that will benefit not only college students who hunger
for a truly meaningful education but every individual who hungers
for truth, knowledge and understanding of the human condition.
I'll let Will have the last word on this, from the ending of
his first audio talk entitled "What Is Civilization?" --
this is not only vintage Durant and a powerful way of looking
at history, but to hear him actually say these words, and to
hear the passion in his voice, is to have experienced something
profoundly powerful that will stay with you the rest of your
life:
"I will not
subscribe to the depressing conclusion of Voltaire and Gibbon
that history is "the record of the crimes and follies
of mankind." Of course it is partly that, and contains
a hundred million tragedies. But it is also the saving sanity
of the average family, the labor and love of men and women
bearing the stream of life over a thousand obstacles; it is
the wisdom and courage of statesmen like Winston Churchill
and Franklin Roosevelt, dying exhausted but fulfilled; it is
the undiscourageable effort of scientists and philosophers
to understand the universe that enveloped them; it is the patience
and skill of artists and poets giving lasting form to transient
beauty, or an illuminating clarity to subtle significance;
it is the vision of prophets and saints challenging us to nobility.
"On the turbulent
and sullied river, hidden amid absurdity and suffering, there
is a veritable City of God, in which the creative spirits of
the past, by the miracles of memory and tradition, still live
and work, carve and build and sing. Plato is there, playing
philosophy with Socrates; Shakespeare is there, bringing new
treasures every day; Keats is still listening to his nightingale,
and Shelley is borne on the west wind; Nietzsche is there,
raving and revealing; Christ is there, calling to us to come
and share his bread. These and a thousand more, and the gifts
they gave, are the Incredible Legacy of the race, the golden
strain in the web of history. We shall not close our eyes to
the evils that challenge us; we shall work undiscourageably
to lessen them; but we shall take strength from the achievements
of the past, the splendor of our inheritance.
"Let us, varying
Shakespeare's unhappy king, sit down and tell brave stories
of noble women and great men."
New Will Durant
Compendium!
THE GREATEST MINDS AND
IDEAS OF ALL TIME
A compendium of the greatest thoughts, the
greatest minds, the greatest poets, and the greatest books --
listed in accessible and concise form -- from one of the world's
greatest scholars.
From the "Hundred
Best Books For An Education" to the "Ten Greatest Thinkers
Of All Time," here is a pocket-sized collection of the world's
most significant knowledge. For the better part of a century,
Will Durant dwelled upon -- and wrote about -- the most significant
eras, individuals, and achievements of human history. His selections
have now finally been brought together in a single concise volume.
Durant eloquently defends his choices of the Greatest minds and
Ideas, but he also stimulates readers into forming their own
opinions, encouraging them to shed their surroundings and biases
and enter "The Country of the Mind," a timeless realm
where the heroes of our species dwell.
From a thinker who always
chose to exalt the positive in the human species, The Greatest
Minds and Ideas Of All Time stays true to Durant's optimism.
This is a book containing the absolute best of our heritage,
passed on for the benefit of future generations. Replete with
Durant's renowned wit, knowledge, and unique ability to explain
events and ideas in simple and exciting terms, this is a book
every bit as significant as its title.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Will Durant (1885-1981)
was awarded the Pulitzer Prize (1968) and the Medal of Freedom
(1977). He spent more than fifty years writing his critically
acclaimed The Story of Civilization (the later volumes written
in conjunction with his wife, Ariel) and capped off his magnificent
career with Heroes of History, written when Durant was 92. His
book The Story of Philosophy is credited with introducing more
people to the subject of philosophy than any other work. A champion
of human rights issues such as the brotherhood of man and social
reform long before such issues were popular, Durant, through
his writings, continues to entertain and educate readers the
world over, inspiring millions of people to lead lives of greater
perspective, understanding and forgiveness.
ABOUT THE EDITOR
John Little is the world's
foremost authority on the life, work and philosophy of Will Durant.
Little is the only person ever authorized by the Will Durant
estate to review and use the entirety of Durant's writings, personal
letters, journals and essays. He discovered and edited Durant's
last manuscript (Heroes of History) and is the founder and director
of The Will Durant Foundation (www.willdurant.com).
For recent reviews of the new Will Durant
book, The Greatest Minds and Ideas of All
Time, please following the link here.
LOST WILL
DURANT BOOK DISCOVERED
Will Durant's last manuscript has now been published,
after some 20 years. The book, titled Heroes of History,
was recently discovered by Will Durant historian and author John
Little. Publishing house Simon and Schuster, whose first book
was Durant's Story of Philosophy, released the book
in November, 2001.
The release of this book is a very
significant addition to the legacy of Will Durant and arrives
just as the philosophy world is observing the twentieth anniversary
of his passing.
For more on the new book and other
information on coming projects please read the interview with
editor John Little by clicking here.
For recent reviews of Will Durant's new book, Heroes
of History, please following the link here.
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