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On Being Human
Woodrow Wilsonís philosophical essay on what makes a person human. Originally written in 1897 by the 28th president of the United States, this essay underlines the necessity for everyone in the modern world to embrace humane behavior.
32 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 1997
59 people are currently reading
235 people want to read
About the author
Woodrow Wilson
1,300 books63 followersThomas Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924) was the twenty-eighth President of the United States. A devout Presbyterian and leading intellectual of the Progressive Era, he served as President of Princeton University and then became the Governor of New Jersey in 1910. With Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft dividing the Republican Party vote, Wilson was elected President as a Democrat in 1912. He proved highly successful in leading a Democratic Congress to pass major legislation that included the Federal Trade Commission, the Clayton Antitrust Act, the Underwood Tariff, the Federal Farm Loan Act and most notably the Federal Reserve System. Wilson was a proponent of segregation during his presidency.
Narrowly re-elected in 1916, his second term centered on World War I. He tried to maintain U.S. neutrality, but when the German Empire began unrestricted submarine warfare he wrote several admonishing notes to Germany, and eventually asked Congress to declare war on the Central Powers. He focused on diplomacy and financial considerations, leaving the waging of the war primarily in the hands of the military establishment. On the home front he began the first effective draft in 1917, raised billions through Liberty loans, imposed an income tax, set up the War Industries Board, promoted labor union growth, supervised agriculture and food production through the Lever Act, took over control of the railroads, and suppressed anti-war movements. He paid surprisingly little attention to military affairs, but provided the funding and food supplies that helped the Americans in the war and hastened Allied victory in 1918.
In the late stages of the war he took personal control of negotiations with Germany, especially with the Fourteen Points and the armistice. He went to Paris in 1919 to create the League of Nations and shape the Treaty of Versailles, with special attention on creating new nations out of defunct empires. Largely for his efforts to form the League, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1919. Wilson collapsed with a debilitating stroke in 1919, as the home front saw massive strikes and race riots, and wartime prosperity turn into postwar depression. He refused to compromise with the Republicans who controlled Congress after 1918, effectively destroying any chance for ratification of the Versailles Treaty. The League of Nations was established anyway, but the U.S. never joined. Wilson's idealistic internationalism, calling for the U.S. to enter the world arena to fight for democracy, progressiveness, and liberalism, has been a highly controversial position in American foreign policy, serving as a model for "idealists" to emulate or "realists" to reject for the following century.
Narrowly re-elected in 1916, his second term centered on World War I. He tried to maintain U.S. neutrality, but when the German Empire began unrestricted submarine warfare he wrote several admonishing notes to Germany, and eventually asked Congress to declare war on the Central Powers. He focused on diplomacy and financial considerations, leaving the waging of the war primarily in the hands of the military establishment. On the home front he began the first effective draft in 1917, raised billions through Liberty loans, imposed an income tax, set up the War Industries Board, promoted labor union growth, supervised agriculture and food production through the Lever Act, took over control of the railroads, and suppressed anti-war movements. He paid surprisingly little attention to military affairs, but provided the funding and food supplies that helped the Americans in the war and hastened Allied victory in 1918.
In the late stages of the war he took personal control of negotiations with Germany, especially with the Fourteen Points and the armistice. He went to Paris in 1919 to create the League of Nations and shape the Treaty of Versailles, with special attention on creating new nations out of defunct empires. Largely for his efforts to form the League, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1919. Wilson collapsed with a debilitating stroke in 1919, as the home front saw massive strikes and race riots, and wartime prosperity turn into postwar depression. He refused to compromise with the Republicans who controlled Congress after 1918, effectively destroying any chance for ratification of the Versailles Treaty. The League of Nations was established anyway, but the U.S. never joined. Wilson's idealistic internationalism, calling for the U.S. to enter the world arena to fight for democracy, progressiveness, and liberalism, has been a highly controversial position in American foreign policy, serving as a model for "idealists" to emulate or "realists" to reject for the following century.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 13, 2011
On the surface this is just some pretty good advice: be concerned for other people, take time to reflect, maintain poise, and be accessible. With the context of the author, however, more should be taken into our account. The vaunting of Lincoln's temperance over William Lloyd Garrison's "enthusiasm" in particular is questionable coming from the president who brought segregation up to the federal level. So this is the advice of a politician to his public and must be taken with a liberal helping of salt. Still, it remains an interesting look at the philosophy of a historical figure we don't often think of in conjunction with ideas rather than events.
Worth a read if that sort of thing floats your boat.
Worth a read if that sort of thing floats your boat.
April 28, 2018
Fun fact, Woodrow Wilson is my great great great great grandfather. Gramps knows what’s up 😎
November 16, 2020
For an essay, the written language was mesmerizing and so eloquent. I miss it when authors used to write like that. However, I couldn’t relate to any of the written content. His argument (if that’s what it’s called) was so generic, I don’t even know what he was trying to accomplish. Maybe the book didn’t age very well or maybe it just wasn’t for me.
September 10, 2016
Thought provoking.
October 4, 2018
It is an interesting essay about what it means to be human, and whereas it does make some very pithy comments, it also leaves much to be discussed and desired.
November 13, 2024
I found this essay on Apple Books for free, and I decided to read it before bed since it was such a short "book"
This is a brief, insightful piece about the essence of humanity and its aspirations. Wilson’s prose, terse yet resonant, celebrates the capacity for empathy, self-reflection, and the drive toward societal harmony; qualities that elevate and distinguishes us. He observes human life as a curious blend of frailty and magnificence, where our fallibility is a source of strength.
The text takes on the theme of human unity with detached optimism, claiming that collective progress hinges on our ability to understand each other. Here we entertain the idea of individual responsibility, that it's each person’s duty to elevate their thinking, is tied to the progress of humanity at large. Wilson reflects on the constraints that people impose on themselves in this process, whether through prejudice, rigidity, or isolation. He also challenges us to consider the beauty of collaboration and openness
Interestingly, the essay threads a critique of complacency. He warns against intellectual and emotional stagnation, in which reminding us that to be human is to be restless, constantly redefining purpose and exploring the uncharted. The work pays homage to human dignity and a call for self-awareness, leaving behind a paradox: that to truly “be human” is to aspire beyond what we currently are, while finding peace in the quirks and challenges of the present.
This is a brief, insightful piece about the essence of humanity and its aspirations. Wilson’s prose, terse yet resonant, celebrates the capacity for empathy, self-reflection, and the drive toward societal harmony; qualities that elevate and distinguishes us. He observes human life as a curious blend of frailty and magnificence, where our fallibility is a source of strength.
The text takes on the theme of human unity with detached optimism, claiming that collective progress hinges on our ability to understand each other. Here we entertain the idea of individual responsibility, that it's each person’s duty to elevate their thinking, is tied to the progress of humanity at large. Wilson reflects on the constraints that people impose on themselves in this process, whether through prejudice, rigidity, or isolation. He also challenges us to consider the beauty of collaboration and openness
Interestingly, the essay threads a critique of complacency. He warns against intellectual and emotional stagnation, in which reminding us that to be human is to be restless, constantly redefining purpose and exploring the uncharted. The work pays homage to human dignity and a call for self-awareness, leaving behind a paradox: that to truly “be human” is to aspire beyond what we currently are, while finding peace in the quirks and challenges of the present.
July 25, 2021
“If you live in a small and petty world, you will be subject to its standards; but if you live in a large world, you will see that standards are innumerable”
“It is within our choice to be with mean company or with great, to consort with the wise or with the foolish, now that the great world has spoken to us in the literature of all tongues and voices”
These two passage are some of my favorite excerpts from the book.
I indulged in this book like no other, the writings are a bit too advanced for my comprehension skill, but it doesn’t make it any less powerful.
I'm starting to enjoy short non-fiction reads!
“It is within our choice to be with mean company or with great, to consort with the wise or with the foolish, now that the great world has spoken to us in the literature of all tongues and voices”
These two passage are some of my favorite excerpts from the book.
I indulged in this book like no other, the writings are a bit too advanced for my comprehension skill, but it doesn’t make it any less powerful.
I'm starting to enjoy short non-fiction reads!
August 14, 2024
“Genuineness is not mere simplicity, for that may lack vitality, and genuineness does not. We expect what we call genuine to have pith and strength of fiber. Genuineness is a quality which we sometimes mean to include when we speak of individuality. Individuality is lost the moment you submit to passing modes or fashions, the creations of an artificial society; and so is genuineness. ”
January 24, 2019
Still so relevant
Loved everything about this essay. A call for curiosity and to be students of nature and humanity in a time when such sage advice is sorely needed. Highly recommended.
Loved everything about this essay. A call for curiosity and to be students of nature and humanity in a time when such sage advice is sorely needed. Highly recommended.
October 27, 2019
A thought-provoking, quotable work.
April 20, 2025
Noted about the wisdom and the insights Mr. Wilson 🙏🏼
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews