"History does not merely touch on language, but takes place in it"
- Theodor Adorno
About this Quote
In this quote, Theodor Adorno is highlighting the considerable function that language plays in forming history. He recommends that language is not simply a tool used to tape historic events, however rather it is an important part of those occasions. Language is not a passive spectator in history, but an active individual. It is through language that concepts, beliefs, and ideologies are communicated and spread, eventually affecting the course of history. Adorno's words remind us that language is a powerful force that can form our understanding of the past and present, and ultimately shape the future.
"A lawyer without history or literature is a mechanic, a mere working mason; if he possesses some knowledge of these, he may venture to call himself an architect"
"We have our own history, our own language, our own culture. But our destiny is also tied up with the destinies of other people - history has made us all South Africans"
"It is humiliating to remain with our hands folded while others write history. It matters little who wins. To make a people great it is necessary to send them to battle even if you have to kick them in the pants. That is what I shall do"
