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Paul Johnson Quotes

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About Paul Johnson

Paul Johnson (1928-2005) was a renowned British historian, journalist, and political commentator. Born on September 4, 1928, in London, England, he grew up amidst the tumultuous political climate of interwar Britain and World War II. His Jewish parents, Russian immigrants, instilled in him a deep sense of intellectual curiosity and an understanding of the complexities of global politics. Johnson's academic journey began at Oxford University, where he read History, and later pursued graduate studies at Cambridge. His education was marked by an insatiable thirst for knowledge, and his early works reflected this passion. In 1957, Johnson published his first major work, "Modern Times: A History of the World from the Twelfth Century to the 1930s." This comprehensive historical account established him as a significant voice in academia. Over the subsequent decades, he authored numerous influential works, including "The Intellectuals" (1988), "A History of Christianity" (1976-1987), and "Modern Times II: The World from the 1930s to 1980" (1983). Johnson's works were characterized by their broad scope, depth of analysis, and synthesis of various disciplines. He was particularly known for his ability to connect historical events with contemporary issues, making his work highly relevant and engaging. Johnson's intellectual prowess and unique perspectives earned him a reputation as one of the most influential historians of the 20th century. In addition to his scholarly works, Johnson also wrote for major publications such as The New Statesman, The Atlantic Monthly, and The Times Literary Supplement. He was a frequent commentator on BBC television and radio programs. Throughout his life, Paul Johnson's work reflected his deep understanding of history, politics, and culture. His legacy continues to inspire scholars and readers alike, offering insights into the complexities of human history and the role of intellectuals in shaping society.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Every age has its own faith; every people its own reason."

This quote by Paul Johnson underscores the idea that each historical era and culture possesses unique belief systems (faith) and intellectual justifications (reason). In essence, it suggests that different societies, at different points in time, embrace distinct ideas, values, and ways of understanding the world, reflecting their specific socio-cultural contexts. This perspective encourages us to respect and learn from diverse perspectives, as they collectively contribute to a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of humanity's intellectual journey.

"The whole history of the human race can be regarded as a struggle between the ideal and the actual."

This quote by Paul Johnson encapsulates the essence of humanity's ongoing quest for improvement and progress. The "ideal" refers to our aspirations, values, and visions for a better world, while the "actual" encompasses the current state of society, riddled with imperfections, injustices, and shortcomings. Throughout human history, we strive towards ideals such as peace, justice, equality, and prosperity, but often encounter obstacles in achieving them due to societal norms, political structures, or individual limitations. This struggle between the ideal and the actual reflects our capacity for self-improvement, innovation, and resilience, demonstrating that humanity is continually learning, evolving, and working towards a better future.

"Mankind owes its progress to the courage of those who have dared to act as if they believed in the reality of their ideals."

This quote by Paul Johnson emphasizes that human advancement is a result of individuals boldly acting on their convictions, despite the potential doubts or challenges. It suggests that the successful implementation of ideas is not only dependent on their validity but also on the courage of those who dare to bring them to life. In essence, it highlights the importance of bravery and conviction in driving progress.

"History is the biography of various nations and of mankind, which together make up a whole."

This quote by Paul Johnson emphasizes that just as an individual's life story forms their biography, so too does each nation's history contribute to the collective narrative of humanity. The implication is that viewing history from this perspective allows us to understand the evolution and progression of civilizations, as well as the interconnectedness of human societies across time and space. It encourages us to consider history not only as a series of isolated events, but also as a single, interwoven story that encompasses all nations and peoples, thus offering a more holistic understanding of mankind's journey through time.

"The greatest enemy of truth is very often not the lie—a lie which is obviously a lie—but the myth, persistent, persuasive and unrealistic."

This quote suggests that misleading beliefs or ideas (myths) can pose a greater threat to truth than obvious lies, as they are often more difficult to identify and challenge due to their persistence, persuasiveness, and seeming realism. Myths are stories or ideas that are accepted as truth without proper verification, which can lead individuals and societies astray from the actual facts and reality.

To many, Heathrow in August is a paradigm of Hell.

- Paul Johnson

Hell, Paradigm, Many, August

Like many physical diseases, anti-Semitism is highly infectious, and can become endemic in certain localities and societies. Though a disease of the mind, it is by no means confined to weak, feeble, or commonplace intellects; as history sadly records, its carriers have included men and women of otherwise powerful and subtle thoughts.

- Paul Johnson

Infectious, Confined, Anti-Semitism

Indeed it is the protean ability of Western civilization to be self-critical and self-correcting - not only in producing wealth but over the whole range of human activities - that constitutes its most decisive superiority over any of its rivals.

- Paul Johnson

Wealth, Civilization, Over, Rivals

I don't write huge books any more. I used to write 1,000 printed pages, but now I write short books. I did one on Napoleon, 50,000 words - enjoyed doing that. He was a baddie. I did one on Churchill, which was a bestseller in New York, I'm glad to say. 50,000 words. He was a goodie.

- Paul Johnson

Doing, Used, I Write, Printed

The whole world depends on America ultimately, particularly Britain. And also, I love America - a marvelous country. But in a sense I don't worry about America because I think America has such huge strengths - particularly its freedom of thought and expression - that it's going to survive as a top nation for the foreseeable future.

- Paul Johnson

Love, Country, I Think, Foreseeable Future

The idea that human beings have changed and are changing the basic climate system of the Earth through their industrial activities and burning of fossil fuels - the essence of the Greens' theory of global warming - has about as much basis in science as Marxism and Freudianism.

- Paul Johnson

Through, Idea, Essence, Greens

Is there any possibility of giving international air travel, which we all need and use and hate, a touch of glamour, or even of reliable, soulless efficiency? I suspect future historians will puzzle over our failure. But by then, of course, we shall be in the age of mass space travel, with its fresh and unimaginable crop of horrors.

- Paul Johnson

Use, Mass, Soulless, Space Travel

A capitalist economy hums when leading businessmen are bubbling with animal spirits and are prepared to sink their money into risky ventures.

- Paul Johnson

Leading, Sink, Capitalist, Businessmen

What strikes the historian surveying anti-Semitism worldwide over more than two millennia is its fundamental irrationality. It seems to make no sense, any more than malaria or meningitis makes sense.

- Paul Johnson

More, Over, Irrationality, Millennia

One of the categories of people I don't like much are intellectuals. People say, 'Oh, you're an intellectual,' and I say, 'No!' What is an intellectual? An intellectual is somebody who thinks ideas are more important than people.

- Paul Johnson

Say, More, Like, Categories

If anti-Semitism is a variety of racism, it is a most peculiar variety, with many unique characteristics. In my view as a historian, it is so peculiar that it deserves to be placed in a quite different category. I would call it an intellectual disease, a disease of the mind, extremely infectious and massively destructive.

- Paul Johnson

Infectious, Placed, Deserves, Massively

The only thing to be said for air travel is speed. It makes possible travel on a scale unimaginable before our present age. Between the ages of 20 and four-score I visited every country in Europe, all save two in Latin America, ditto in Africa, and most of Asia, not counting eight trips to Australia and 60 to the United States - all by air.

- Paul Johnson

Country, United, Before, Unimaginable

In the long term, it is desirable that the human race, faced with the prospect of extinction on Earth, should prepare an escape route for itself to another inhabitable planet.

- Paul Johnson

Prepare, Race, Planet, Faced

One of the marvelous things about Churchill is that whatever he was doing, whether fighting or arguing or despairing or bouncing about full of energy, jokes are never far away.

- Paul Johnson

Doing, Away, Despairing, Churchill

Euphemism is a human device to conceal the horrors of reality.

- Paul Johnson

Reality, Horrors, Conceal, Device

Marxism, Freudianism, global warming. These are proof - of which history offers so many examples - that people can be suckers on a grand scale. To their fanatical followers they are a substitute for religion. Global warming, in particular, is a creed, a faith, a dogma that has little to do with science.

- Paul Johnson

Faith, Scale, Global, Fanatical

The planet Earth, though not threatened with destruction by man-made global warming, is by no means indestructible. There are many unpredictable events within our solar system, and still more outside it, that could make Earth uninhabitable by humans.

- Paul Johnson

Solar, Global, Our, Planet Earth

Margaret Thatcher had more impact on the world than any woman ruler since Catherine the Great of Russia. Not only did she turn around - decisively - the British economy in the 1980s, she also saw her methods copied in more than 50 countries.

- Paul Johnson

Woman, Methods, Copied, None

The image of the scientist who puts the pursuit of truth before anything else has been shattered and replaced by a man on the make or a quasi-religious enthusiast who wants to prove his case at any cost. Science is becoming the tool of campaigning warfare, in which truth is the first casualty.

- Paul Johnson

Prove, Been, Shattered, Case

In the past, the U.S. has shown its capacity to reinvent its gifts for leadership. During the 1970s, in the aftermath of the Nixon abdication and the Ford and Carter presidencies, the whole nation peered into the abyss, was horrified by what it saw and elected Ronald Reagan as president, which began a national resurgence.

- Paul Johnson

Reinvent, Nixon, Reagan, Horrified

Mr. Obama would be a disheartening president even during a super boom, with his grim demeanor and empty rhetoric, as well as his obvious hatred of business bravado.

- Paul Johnson

Business, Demeanor, Mr, Disheartening

When people talk about political correctness, the only element of any value is good manners.

- Paul Johnson

Good Manners, Correctness, Element

Courage is the essential element in any great public man or woman.

- Paul Johnson

Man, Woman, Public, Element

Indeed, the study of universities and the great men and women who have attended them leads me to think that the best of these schools are characterized not so much by what they teach and how they teach it but by the extent they provide opportunities and encouragement for students to teach themselves.

- Paul Johnson

Study, Students, Extent, Encouragement

Long periods of recession, which tend to be self-perpetuating, are usually ended by war, or by preparations for it.

- Paul Johnson

Which, Tend, Long Periods, Preparations

I was very fond of Princess Diana. She used to have me over to lunch to ask my advice. I'd give her good advice, and she'd say: 'I entirely agree. Paul, you're so right.' Then she'd go and do the opposite.

- Paul Johnson

Lunch, Advice, Very, Fond

Those who buy in to global warming wish to drastically curb human economic and industrial activities, regardless of the consequences for people, especially the poor.

- Paul Johnson

People, Buy, Global, Curb

The United States is a concept that works very well, even in bad times. But that's no reason to think its structure can be superimposed with success on any other part of the world, particularly when times are terrible.

- Paul Johnson

Reason, Other, Very, Terrible

The most intimidating world leader was Lyndon Johnson, who became U.S. President when John Kennedy was assassinated. He exulted in this power and liked to inspire fear.

- Paul Johnson

Leader, World Leader, Became, Intimidating

Democracy has many enemies, and the terrorist is only one of them.

- Paul Johnson

Enemies, Only, Them, Terrorist

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