People 

  Arnold Toynbee 1889–1975 - England

Encyclopedia Entries

Columbia Encyclopedia

Wikipedia

Questions of 

In the Study of History, an investigation into the growth, development, and decay of civilizations, the problems of history are considered in terms of cultural groups rather than nationalities. The main thesis of the work is that the well-being of a civilization depends on its ability to respond successfully to challenges, human and environmental. Of the 26 civilizations studied, according to Toynbee, only one—Western Latin Christendom—is currently alive, and perhaps even this in decline. He has been criticized for arbitrary generalizations, factual errors, and overemphasizing the regenerative force of religion. The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Copyright © 2003 Columbia University Press

Reading

• Greek Historical Thought (1924)
• A Study of History, 1934 - 1961, (also known as History of the World)
• War and Civilisation (1951)
• Comparing Notes (1963), with his son Philip Toynbee

Writing Available on the Internet

Commentary

See the biography by W. H. McNeill (1989); study by K. Thompson (1985).

Quotations