“In
every phenomenon, the beginning remains always the most notable moment. Everywhere in life, the true question is not
what we gain, but what we do.” – Thomas Carlyle
Carlyle, born Dec. 4, 1795, was a
Scottish philosopher, teacher and journalist whose work was influential on a
generation of Victorian era writers, including Charles Dickens and Ralph Waldo
Emerson. He was mesmerized by the
concept of how heroes in our world shaped people’s hopes and aspirations and
created the basis for great writing.
Primarily an essayist for several
major newspapers, he also wrote a dozen books, the most famous being On Heroes, Hero-Worship, and the Heroic in
History.
Beyond his writing, Carlyle was a champion
for the establishment of great libraries.
Often frustrated with the lack of good books in society, he was
instrumental in founding the London Library and making books available to a
broader reading public.
“In books lies the soul of the whole
Past Time; the articulate audible voice of the Past, when the body and material
substance of it has altogether vanished like a dream,” Carlyle said. “The greatest university of all is a
collection of books.”
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