The distinction between what a text meant and what it means ... - Quentin Skinner

"The distinction between what a text meant and what it means is not a rigid boundary but an ongoing negotiation between past and present."

Quentin Skinner Philosophy

Historian Philosopher British Born 1940 (age 86)

More from Quentin Skinner

"The past is not dead; it is not even past."

"Ideas have consequences, and the historian's task is to trace them."

"We must understand the languages in which the past speaks to us."

"The study of history is the study of human possibility."

"I've seen the worst humanity has to offer."

"Sometimes I wonder if the world is worth saving."

"Every choice shapes our destiny."

"Order is the foundation of a good life."