Arnold J. Toynbee
Arnold Joseph Toynbee, 1889-1975, English historian; nephew
of Arnold Toynbee . Educated at Oxford, he served in the
British foreign office during World Wars I and II and was a
delegate (1919) to the Paris Peace Conference. He was
professor of Greek language and history (1919-55) at the
Univ. of London and director of studies at the Royal
Institute of International Affairs (1925-55). A prolific
scholar, Toynbee achieved his greatest fame for his
monumental work, A STUDY OF HISTORY (12 vol., 1934-61),
which appeared in an abridgment by D. C. Somervell (2 vol.,
1946-57). 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.
Toynbee helped to write and edit A SURVEY OF INTERNATIONAL
AFFAIRS and produced works on a multitude of historical topics.
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Series
Books:A Study of History, December 1987
Royal Institute of International Affairs
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