The Creative Impulse

Arnold Joseph Toynbee (1889-1975), a renowned historian and philosopher of history, published his famous work, A Study of History, between the years 1934 and 1961. This book, running to twelve volumes, is a philosophic study of twenty-three civilizations.

Toynbee has shown in this book that “the rise of a civilization was not the result of such factors as superior racial qualities or geographical environment but was rather a people’s response to a challenge in a situation of special difficulty that roused them to make an unprecedented effort. Difficult rather than easy conditions prompted men to cultural achievement.” (vol. 4, p. 659)

According to Toynbee, civilization is always born out of a creative impulse towards betterment. It is, in fact, a challenge-response mechanism which can develop in any nation and make it the leader of the world. Moreover, deprivation in this world is not something valueless; deprivation gives rise to the passion for enterprise. And in this way, it makes groups more active and produces the possibility for greater success. If a nation in difficult circumstances suffers from a psychology of reaction, it will inevitably fall into the error of lamentation and protests. But, if it rises above circumstances and thinks positively, it will be able to see that its difficult situations were providing it with the ladder to ultimate success.