The Story of Philosophy Will Durant

Will Durant and Ariel Durant, in full, respectively, William James Durant and Ariel Durant, née Ada Kaufman, or Ida Kaufman, (respectively, born Nov. 5, 1885, North Adams, Mass., U.S.—died Nov. 7, 1981, Los Angeles, Calif.; born May 10, 1898, Prosurov, Russia—died Oct. 25, 1981, Los Angeles), American husband-and-wife writing collaborators whose Story of Civilization, 11 vol. (1935–75), established them among the best-known writers of popular philosophy and history.

Will Durant (1885–1981) was awarded the Pulitzer Prize (1968) and the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1977). He spent more than fifty years writing his critically acclaimed eleven-volume series, The Story of Civilization (the later volumes written in conjunction with his wife, Ariel). A champion of human rights issues, such as the brotherhood of man and social reform, long before such issues were popular, Durant’s writing still educates and entertains readers around the world.