Will Durant

Will Durant (1885–1981 CE / 1303–1402 AH) was an American philosopher and historian, widely known for his comprehensive multi-volume historical project The Story of Civilization and his earlier work The Story of Philosophy Qissat al-Hadara+1.

Early Life and Education

Will Durant was born in North Adams, Massachusetts, in 1885 Qissat al-Hadara. He received his initial education in Catholic parochial schools in North Adams and in Kearny, New Jersey Qissat al-Hadara. He subsequently studied at Saint Peter's College (a Jesuit institution) in Jersey City and later enrolled at Columbia University in New York Qissat al-Hadara.

During the summer of 1907, Durant worked as a junior newspaper reporter in New York, but finding the work taxing, he transitioned to teaching Latin, French, English, and other subjects at Seton Hall College in South Orange, New Jersey, between 1907 and 1911 Qissat al-Hadara+1. In 1909, he joined a seminary study circle there, but he left it in 1911 for reasons he documented in his autobiographical book Transition Qissat al-Hadara+1. He then became involved in radical circles in New York and taught at the Ferrer Modern School from 1911 to 1913, an engagement in libertarian education Qissat al-Hadara+1. In 1912, he toured Europe funded by his friend Alden Freeman, who sought to broaden his intellectual horizons Qissat al-Hadara.

In 1913, Durant resumed his graduate studies at Columbia University, specializing in biology under Thomas Hunt Morgan and Gary Nathan Calkins, and in philosophy under Frederick James Eugene Woodbridge and John Dewey Qissat al-Hadara+1. He earned his doctorate in philosophy from Columbia University in 1917 and taught philosophy there for one year Qissat al-Hadara+1.

Intellectual Career and Historical Research

Beginning in 1914 at a Christian church on 14th Street and 2nd Avenue in New York, Durant delivered lectures on the history of philosophy and literature, which laid the foundation for his publications Qissat al-Hadara+1. In 1921, he organized the Labor Temple School, which became a prominent experiment in adult education, before leaving it in 1927 to dedicate himself fully to his historical writing Qissat al-Hadara+1.

Durant undertook extensive research journeys to examine primary cultural sites firsthand, traveling through Europe in 1927, journeying around the world in 1930 to study Egypt, the Near East, India, China, and Japan, and touring again in 1932 through Japan, Manchuria, Siberia, and Russia Qissat al-Hadara+1. Further study tours took him across the Mediterranean, Greece, Italy, Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Egypt, and Western Europe Qissat al-Hadara+1. Durant adopted an "integral history" approach, aiming to weave political, economic, intellectual, artistic, and moral developments across successive civilizations into a continuous human narrative Qissat al-Hadara. His wife, Ariel Durant, was his central collaborator in research and co-author on later volumes Qissat al-Hadara.

Reception

In modern Arab intellectual scholarship, Durant has been commended for his objectivity, adherence to scholarly methodology, and ethical commitment Qissat al-Hadara. Scholars noted that he stood among the few Western historians of his era who gave equitable recognition to Eastern and Arab-Islamic civilizations, highlighting their substantial contributions to human progress and their foundational influence on classical Western heritage Qissat al-Hadara.

Death

Ariel Durant died on October 25, 1981, at the age of eighty-three Qissat al-Hadara. Will Durant survived her by thirteen days, dying on November 7, 1981 (1402 AH), at the age of ninety-six Qissat al-Hadara.