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Carroll Quigley Quotes

Powerful Carroll Quigley for Daily Growth

About Carroll Quigley

Carroll Quigley (1910-1977) was an influential American historian, academic, and political scientist. Born on October 7, 1910, in Akron, Ohio, he grew up in a family of Irish heritage. His father was a lawyer and his mother a teacher, instilling in him a love for learning from an early age. Quigley's academic journey began at the College of the Holy Cross where he graduated magna cum laude in 1931. He continued his studies at Harvard University, earning his master's degree in 1932 and his Ph.D. in history in 1938. His doctoral dissertation titled "The United States and the Soviet Union: A Study in Conflict" was a significant early work. Quigley's career took off at the University of Tennessee, where he served as a professor of history from 1946 to 1954. During this time, he also held a fellowship at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington D.C., where he worked on his magnum opus, "Tragedy and Hope: A History of the World in Our Time." "Tragedy and Hope," published in 1966, is Quigley's most famous work. It is a comprehensive historical analysis of the 20th century, focusing on political and economic power structures. The book gained prominence when it was referenced in Watergate hearings due to its mention by one of the key figures involved. Quigley served as a professor at Georgetown University from 1954 until his retirement in 1977. Throughout his career, he remained a prolific scholar and teacher, influencing generations of students and academics with his insights into world history and politics. Carroll Quigley passed away on February 23, 1977, leaving behind an extensive body of work that continues to be studied and debated today.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"The argument that the world was created a few thousand years ago, or that it was written by Sumerians fifteen hundred years before Christ, is utterly ridiculous."

This quote highlights Carroll Quigley's rejection of literal interpretations of ancient history, such as young-Earth creationism and alternative historical narratives like the Sumerian origin of the Bible. He finds these beliefs implausible due to their contradiction with widely accepted scientific evidence regarding the age of the Earth and historical records. His position suggests a preference for rational, evidence-based interpretations of history.

"What is happening today in the United States is not a communist conspiracy... It is a well-known fact that the great British secret societies are fully aware of this American movement and fully support it."

This quote suggests that Carroll Quigley, an American historian, believed that the events occurring in the United States during his time (around mid-20th century) were not orchestrated by a communist conspiracy as some might claim. Instead, he hints at the possibility of British secret societies being aware of and supporting these movements. This could imply that there are powerful non-communist groups in the UK exerting influence on American politics. However, without more context, it's essential to remember that interpretations should remain tentative.

"The struggle of man against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting."

This quote emphasizes the importance of human effort to counteract the tendency for powerful entities to erase or obscure history, knowledge, and truth for their benefit. In other words, it underscores the significance of individual memory and historical awareness in challenging those who wield power and ensuring that past lessons are not forgotten, thereby promoting a more informed and just society.

"There are no 'conspiracies' but only coalitions, formed by men who have certain views in common, united in certain temporary action by certain interests."

This quote by Carroll Quigley suggests that the term "conspiracy" is often misused to describe situations where groups of people with shared beliefs or interests temporarily align for a specific purpose. It emphasizes that these coalitions are not secretive, malicious, or nefarious plots as the term "conspiracy" may imply, but rather collaboration based on common views and mutual interests.

"In a sense, all ideologies are idiotic, whether they are the ideology of Fascism, Marxism, or Capitalism or any other -isms, as they merely represent a particular phase of social change, and cannot long endure."

Carroll Quigley's quote suggests that all ideologies, regardless of their nature (such as Fascism, Marxism, or Capitalism), are temporary phases in the broader, ongoing process of societal evolution. He implies that these ideologies, while potentially powerful in shaping society during their time, are eventually surpassed and replaced by new ideas as societies continue to change and progress. Essentially, Quigley is asserting that no single ideology can endure forever.

By the winter of 1945-1946, the Russian peoples were being warned of the dangers from the West.

- Carroll Quigley

Russian, Were, Warned, Dangers

The argument that the two parties should represent opposed ideals and policies, one, perhaps, of the Right and the other of the Left, is a foolish idea acceptable only to doctrinaire and academic thinkers.

- Carroll Quigley

Argument, Other, Acceptable, Foolish

The history of the last century shows, as we shall see later, that the advice given to governments by bankers, like the advice they gave to industrialists, was consistently good for bankers, but was often disastrous for governments, businessmen, and the people generally.

- Carroll Quigley

Last, Bankers, Given, Businessmen

It is this power structure which the Radical Right in the United States has been attacking for years in the belief that they are attacking the Communists.

- Carroll Quigley

Been, United States, Which, Power Structure

On this basis, which was originally financial and goes back to George Peabody, there grew up in the twentieth century a power structure between London and New York which penetrated deeply into university life, the press, and the practice of foreign policy.

- Carroll Quigley

Financial, Practice, London, Power Structure

Islam, the third in historical sequence of the ethical monotheistic religions of the Near East, was very successful in establishing its monotheism, but had only very moderate success in spreading its version of Jewish and Christian ethics to the Arabs.

- Carroll Quigley

Very, Establishing, Arabs

In addition to their power over government based on government financing and personal influence, bankers could steer governments in ways they wished them to go by other pressures.

- Carroll Quigley

Other, Over, Based, Financing

Thus, the use of fiat money is more justifiable in financing a depression than in financing a war.

- Carroll Quigley

Money, Use, Thus, Financing

In fact, this network, which we may identify as the Round Table Groups, has no aversion to cooperating with the Communists, or any other groups, and frequently does so.

- Carroll Quigley

Fact, Other, Which, Communists

Instead, there were a variety of controls of which some could be influenced by bankers, some could be influenced by the government, and some could hardly be influenced by either.

- Carroll Quigley

Some, Either, Which, Hardly

This persistence as private firms continued because it ensured the maximum of anonymity and secrecy to persons of tremendous public power who dreaded public knowledge of their activities as an evil almost as great as inflation.

- Carroll Quigley

Private, Almost, Tremendous, Anonymity

Once again the mastermind was Lionel Curtis, and the earlier Round Table Groups and Institutes of International Affairs were used as nuclei for the new network.

- Carroll Quigley

New, Again, Lionel, Affairs

There were people who said the Society of Cincinnati in the American revolution, of which George Washington was one of the shining lights, was a branch of the Illuminati.

- Carroll Quigley

People, American, Which, Cincinnati

The traditional Christian attitude toward human personality was that human nature was essentially good and that it was formed and modified by social pressures and training.

- Carroll Quigley

Nature, Training, Social, Pressures

The failure of Christianity in the areas west from Sicily was even greater, and was increased by the spread of Arab outlooks and influence to that area, and especially to Spain.

- Carroll Quigley

Spain, Area, Increased, Arab

To this day the Arab influence is evident in southern Italy, northern Africa and, above all, in Spain.

- Carroll Quigley

Africa, Southern, Spain, Arab

Hitler's economic revolution in Germany had reduced financial considerations to a point where they played no role in economic or political decisions.

- Carroll Quigley

Financial, Role, Germany, Political Decisions

When the business interests... pushed through the first installment of civil service reform in 1883, they expected that they would be able to control both political parties equally.

- Carroll Quigley

Business, Through, Equally, Installment

Bolshevism presented itself as an economic threat to themselves at the same time that Nazism presented itself as a political threat to their countries.

- Carroll Quigley

Political, Same Time, Presented

When goods are exchanged between countries, they must be paid for by commodities or gold. They cannot be paid for by the notes, certificates, and checks of the purchaser's country, since these are of value only in the country of issue.

- Carroll Quigley

Country, Notes, Issue, Checks

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