"To the degree Victorians succeeded in "bourgeoisifying" the ethos, they also democratized it. That ethos was not, to be sure, an exalted or heroic one. Hard work, sobriety, frugality, foresight—these were modest, mundane virtues, even lowly ones. But they were virtues within the capacity of everyone; they did not assume any special breeding, or status, or talent, or valor, or grace—or even money. They were common virtues within the reach of common people. They were, so to speak, democratic virtues."
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Non-fiction authors from the United StatesHistorians from the United StatesWomen authors from the United StatesTrotskyists from the United States
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
'In Defense of the Victorians', The Wilson Quarterly, Vol. 12, No. 3 (Summer 1988), pp. 98-99
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Gertrude_Himmelfarb
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
Gertrude Himmelfarb
Gertrude Himmelfarb (August 8, 1922 – December 30, 2019), also known as Bea Kristol, was an American historian. She was a leader of conservative interpretations of history and historiography. She wrote extensively on intellectual history, with a focus on Great Britain and the Victorian era, as well as on contemporary society and culture.
6 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by Gertrude Himmelfarb →
Related Quotes
"The desire to transcend the human condition is, in most religious traditions, an invitation to heresy. In politics it…"
"Such values as thrift, prudence, diligence, temperance, and self-reliance were indeed bourgeois ones. But they were a…"
"These values, moreover, were consciously shared by the most radical British workers. The memoirs of those involved in…"
"They were also liberal virtues. By putting a premium on ordinary virtues attainable by ordinary people, the ethos loc…"
"Then there is the nuclear option: Gertrude Himmelfarb... this great doyenne of reactionary history has somehow inveig…"
"Scientific education is catholic; it embraces the whole field of human learning. No student can master all knowledge …"
"Honest investigation is but the application of common sense to the solution of the unknown. Science does not wait on …"
"Years of drought and famine come and years of flood and famine come, and the climate is not changed with dance, libat…"
"The verb is relatively of much greater importance in an Indian tongue than in a civilized language."
"Possible ideas and thoughts are vast in number. A distinct word for every distinct idea and thought would require a v…"