The Lessons of History Book Summary, by Will Durant, Ariel Durant

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1-Page Summary of The Lessons of History

Overview

Freedom leads to greater equality. The Industrial Revolution increased individualism. These are big questions that play a big part in the political, moral and economic discussions we have today. What if there was a cheat sheet we could use to answer them?

It turns out there is. History isn’t just a record of what has happened to humanity thus far; it’s a great way to understand why and how it happened, a way for us to learn and understand how one thing led to another. By reviewing the preceding five millennia, The Lessons of History shows that history can teach us about our past successes and failures as well as new paths we can take in the future.

This passage describes how the Battle of Tours changed Europe’s future. It also explains why rivers and waterways were important to early civilizations. The author goes on to explain that agriculture created a need for parental authority, which was another major factor in civilization.

Big Idea #1: Geography has a big influence on a civilization, but its influence declines as technology advances.

Think about your hometown. Is it near a river, the sea or a lake? Does it have good railway connections? Answering such simple questions can teach you a lot about a place.

Geographical conditions have a big influence on the development of cities. This has been true throughout history, as settlers always choose to live near rivers and lakes for food and water, but also because of transportation and trade.

Because of advances in technology, countries like England and France no longer have a huge advantage over other nations because they don’t need to rely on their coastlines. Countries like Russia, China and Brazil also aren’t impeded by their large land masses.

Big Idea #2: Life is a competition and humans are born unequal.

Did you ever get to pick teams in gym class as a kid? You probably tried to get the best athletes on your team. History is like that too, because not everyone is equally matched.

Our ancestors were very competitive and aggressive. They had to fight for survival, which they passed down to us.

Humans are also able to cooperate with each other. However, social cooperation only exists because it gives the group a competitive edge. We work together in groups such as families or communities because it enables us to compete with other groups.