Ariel Durant

Ariel Durant – Life, Career, and Famous Quotes

: Explore the remarkable life of Ariel Durant, American historian and coauthor of The Story of Civilization. Discover her biography, partnered career, enduring legacy, and unforgettable quotes.

Introduction

Ariel Durant (born Chaya “Ida” Kaufman; May 10, 1898 – October 25, 1981) was a historian, writer, and intellectual who—alongside her husband Will Durant—crafted one of the most ambitious and popular sweeping histories ever published, The Story of Civilization. Though she began in more of a supporting role, her influence, insight, and scholarship became integral to that multi-volume endeavor. Today, Ariel Durant stands as a striking example of a woman whose intellect, collaboration, and perseverance reshaped how many readers conceive of history, civilization, and human progress.

Early Life and Family

Ariel Durant was born Chaya Kaufman (later Ida Kaufman) in Proskurov, in the Podolia Governorate of the Russian Empire (now Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine), to Jewish parents Ethel Appel Kaufman and Joseph Kaufman.

In 1900 her father emigrated to the United States, and after a brief sojourn in London (1900–1901), the family settled in New York in 1901, when Ariel was still an infant.

Her mother, Ethel, later left the family to take part in anarchist movements, and Ariel’s early experience included disruption, reorganization, and the challenge of forging her own intellectual identity.

Youth and Education

Ariel’s formal schooling eventually led her to the Ferrer Modern School in New York City, a progressive and libertarian institution that encouraged independent thinking.

Their relationship was unconventional by many standards. She was only 15 when they married on October 31, 1913, at New York City Hall—she famously roller-skated there from her home in Harlem.

In the early years of their marriage, Ariel sometimes chafed under domestic expectations and the more public role of her husband. She is said to have run away occasionally—but always returned, deepening the marital and intellectual bonds.

Career and Achievements

From Assistant to Co-author

In the early phases, Ariel’s role was unofficial: organizing notes, cataloguing materials, assisting Will’s research and drafting. The Story of Civilization evolved across decades, her contributions became more visible and acknowledged.

With the publication of the seventh volume, The Age of Reason Begins (1961), Ariel was formally credited as co-author, and in subsequent volumes her name appeared in full authorship. Rousseau and Revolution, the work won the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction in 1968—awarded jointly to Will and Ariel Durant.

They also penned The Lessons of History (1968), a more compact summary and philosophical reflection drawing on lessons across the volumes. The Age of Napoleon, completed the 11-volume series in 1975.

Honors and Recognition

• Pulitzer Prize (1968) for Rousseau and Revolution

• Presidential Medal of Freedom, bestowed in 1977 by President Gerald Ford

• Named “Woman of the Year” by the Los Angeles Times (1965) for her contributions to literature and history

• Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement in 1976

• Honorary doctorates, including an LL.D. from Long Island University

Even before formal attribution, Ariel’s insistence shaped the narrative direction. For instance, she pressed Will to include a fair treatment of medieval Jewry and to examine anti-Semitism in The Age of Faith.

The Durants also wrote a joint autobiography, A Dual Autobiography, published in 1978 (sometimes dated 1977).

Historical Milestones & Context

The mid-20th century was a fertile yet challenging era for popular historiography. The Durants’ Story of Civilization series attempted to bridge the gap between scholarly history and accessible narrative, placing emphasis on philosophy, culture, religion, and ideas, not just political events.

Their project spanned from 1935 to 1975—a forty-year endeavor traversing enormous changes: wars, decolonization, ideological shifts, and evolving academic historiography.

In the Cold War era and postwar world, their work resonated with readers seeking sweeping narratives that could help orient understanding of modernity, governance, culture, and civilization.

Also of note: the Durants died within two weeks of each other in October–November 1981. Ariel died on October 25, and Will on November 7.

Legacy and Influence

The legacy of Ariel Durant is inseparable from that of Will Durant; together, they constructed a literary-historical edifice that brought ideas, philosophy, and culture to a mass readership. Their approach helped spark public interest in sweeping civilization narratives, influencing later works in popular history, cultural history, and intellectual history.

Ariel’s particular legacy includes:

• Elevation of the role of women in intellectual labor: Though for decades uncredited, she gradually ascended to recognized co-authorship, asserting that collaborative scholarship could transcend gendered undervaluation.

• Humanistic perspective in history: She helped steer their writings toward empathy, moral inquiry, and cultural texture—lessons and insights, not merely facts and dates.

• Influence on non-specialist readers: For many lay readers, the Durant books became a gateway to philosophy, religion, and culture beyond standard school histories.

• Inspiration for interdisciplinary synthesis: Their model encouraged bridging across disciplines—history, philosophy, sociology, art—into unified narrative.

While academic historians often critiqued them for lacking methodological rigor or overgeneralizing, their impact in shaping public historical consciousness endures.

Personality and Talents

Ariel Durant was known for her intellectual courage, independent temperament, and voracious curiosity. Her husband is said to have nicknamed her “Ariel” (after the spirit in Shakespeare’s The Tempest) because he saw in her strength, bravery, mischief, and speed: “strong and brave as a boy, and as swift and mischievous as an elf.”

She held a restless streak: she sometimes wandered away from conventional domestic life, exploring her own interests and experiences, always returning enriched and more fully self-aware.

Contemporaneous accounts describe her as socially engaged, connected with the intellectual and cultural currents of her time, and capable of holding her own in conversation with leading figures.

Though not an “academic historian” in the strictest sense, Ariel possessed a rare combination of narrative sensitivity, philosophical reflection, and organizational acumen.

Famous Quotes of Ariel Durant

Below are a selection of enduring quotations attributed to Ariel Durant. These reflect her breadth of thought across history, human nature, civilization, and philosophy.

“A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within.”

“The present is the past rolled up for action, and the past is the present unrolled for understanding.”

“It is good a philosopher should remind himself, now and then, that he is a particle pontificating on infinity.”

“The conservative who resists change is as valuable as the radical who proposes it.”

“We must operate with partial knowledge, and be provisionally content with probabilities.”

“Only a fool would try to compress a hundred centuries into a hundred pages of hazardous conclusions. We proceed.”

“No man who is in a hurry is quite civilised.”

“The laws of biology are the fundamental lessons of history.”

These quotations often reflect her view that history is not a passive recounting of events but a living matrix of human nature, choice, and consequence.

Lessons from Ariel Durant

From Ariel Durant’s life and work, readers may draw several enduring lessons:

1. Collaboration can amplify insight. Her partnership with Will Durant was not static; it deepened over time, culminating in true intellectual co-creation.

2. Quiet influence may precede public recognition. Though initially behind the scenes, Ariel’s judgment and research gradually reshaped the work’s direction.

3. Balance between breadth and depth matters. Her work shows that sweeping narratives benefit from sensitivity to nuance, philosophy, and culture—not just chronology.

4. Humility in view of history. Her quotes emphasize that our knowledge is always partial, that we are but small participants in long processes.

5. Defying norms through intellectual courage. Marrying young, moving across roles, evolving from helper to coauthor—all against typical gender expectations—Ariel’s path shows how conviction and curiosity can shape one’s destiny.

Conclusion

Ariel Durant’s life is a testament to the power of intellect, conviction, and partnership. From her beginnings as Chaya Kaufman in the Russian Empire to her monumental role in one of the world’s most ambitious history projects, she carved a singular path. Her contributions to The Story of Civilization, her philosophical insights, and her enduring quotes ensure her influence still ripples through readers and thinkers.

To delve deeper, you might explore The Lessons of History or A Dual Autobiography to experience more of her voice. May Ariel Durant’s life and words continue to inspire generations to grapple with the meaning of civilization, the challenges of history, and the quest for wisdom.