"Modern Western thought will pass into history and be incorporated in it, will have its influence and its place, just as our body will pass into the composition of grass, of sheep, of cutlets, and of men"
- Alexander Herzen
About this Quote
Alexander Herzen's quote speaks with the concept of the cyclical nature of life and history. He recommends that modern Western idea will ultimately die and become part of history, just as our bodies will eventually pass away and become part of the natural world. He indicates that the impact of contemporary Western idea will stay, simply as the influence of our bodies will remain in the form of the lawn, sheep, cutlets, and males that our bodies enter into. Herzen's quote is a reminder that nothing is irreversible which all things will eventually die and enter into something else. It is a pointer to appreciate the present and to make the most of our time here on earth.
"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"
