Learning from history or just learning history?

Posted by Tory Historian Thursday, February 26, 2009

Tory Historian found an interesting posting on an extremely good American blog. Can we learn from history, asks Neo-neocon and gives a rather depressed answer. There is quite an interesting discussion about it.

For Tory Historian this is the wrong question. First we must learn history and learn it in some detail. (Yes, yes, those dates are still uncollected. Mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.) Only then can we think of learning from it. Otherwise, even if people do think that they have learnt from history, the chances are that it is the wrong lessons they have drawn.

Discuss.

1 Responses to Learning from history or just learning history?

  1. James Dowden Says:
    3:41 pm

  2. But who is to deem the lessons right and on what basis? And there's a certain charm in the sort of obviously wrong opinion piece that can be summarized as:
    1) my favourite period of history is the Thirty Years War
    2) a load of tenuous, if good-humoured "parallels"
    3) so maybe we would regret the consequences of defenestrating the bankers
    4) even if it would be rather fun

     
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