E. J. Hobsbawm Quotes

A collection of quotes by E. J. Hobsbawm.

Eric John Ernest Hobsbawm (1917-2012), commonly known as E. J. Hobsbawm, was a renowned British historian and intellectual. He was born on June 9, 1917, in Alexandria, Egypt, to a British father and an Austrian mother. Hobsbawm's father passed away when he was young, and the family moved to Vienna, Austria.

Hobsbawm's interest in history was sparked during his years at King's College, Cambridge, where he joined the Communist Party of Great Britain. His life-long commitment to left-wing politics greatly influenced his historical perspective. After graduating, Hobsbawm went on to become a prominent academic figure, teaching at various institutions, including the University of London's Birkbeck College.

Throughout his career, Hobsbawm made significant contributions to the field of history, particularly in the areas of economic and social history. He is best known for his sweeping tetralogy, "The Age of Revolution," "The Age of Capital," "The Age of Empire," and "The Age of Extremes," which detailed the transformative impact of the industrial revolution and the subsequent global changes.

Hobsbawm's works challenged conventional historical interpretations and emphasized the importance of analyzing history within broader social and political contexts. His Marxist perspectives often sparked intellectual debates and controversies among fellow historians and scholars. Despite criticism, Hobsbawm's work has remained influential, and he is regarded as one of the most celebrated historians of the 20th century.

E. J. Hobsbawm passed away on October 1, 2012, in London, leaving behind a rich intellectual legacy in the field of history.

War has been the most convenient pseudo-solution for the pro

War has been the most convenient pseudo-solution for the problems of twentieth-century capitalism. It provides the incentives to modernization and technological revolution which the market and the pursuit of profit do only fitfully and by accident, it makes the unthinkable (such as votes for women and the abolition of unemployment) not merely thinkable but practicable. What is equally important, it can re-create communities of men and give a temporary sense to their lives by uniting them against foreigners and outsiders. This is an achievement beyond the power of the private enterprise economy when left to itself.

E. J. Hobsbawm

War

There is not much that even the most socially responsible sc

There is not much that even the most socially responsible scientists can do as individuals, or even as a group, about the social consequences of their activities.

E. J. Hobsbawm

Science

It seems that American patriotism measures itself against an

It seems that American patriotism measures itself against an outcast group. The right Americans are the right Americans because they're not like the wrong Americans, who are not really Americans.

E. J. Hobsbawm

Patriotism

Nations without a past are contradictions in terms. What mak

Nations without a past are contradictions in terms. What makes a nation is the past, what justifies one nation against others is the past, and historians are the people who produce it.

E. J. Hobsbawm

Nationalism Nation Nationality

Historians are to nationalism what poppy-growers in Pakistan

Historians are to nationalism what poppy-growers in Pakistan are to heroin-addicts: we supply the essential raw material for the market.

E. J. Hobsbawm

Nationalism Nation Nationality

As the global expansion of Indian and Chinese restaurants su

As the global expansion of Indian and Chinese restaurants suggests, xenophobia is directed against foreign people, not foreign cultural imports.

E. J. Hobsbawm

Racism