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Why Study History

The document discusses why studying history is important. It argues that studying history allows one to better understand ideas and events in their proper historical context. It also notes that history reveals the present. The author studies history to improve themselves through the Socratic method of questioning, which leads to self-knowledge and improvement. Overall, studying history provides a richer understanding of the world and oneself.

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Mark Jackson
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71 views2 pages

Why Study History

The document discusses why studying history is important. It argues that studying history allows one to better understand ideas and events in their proper historical context. It also notes that history reveals the present. The author studies history to improve themselves through the Socratic method of questioning, which leads to self-knowledge and improvement. Overall, studying history provides a richer understanding of the world and oneself.

Uploaded by

Mark Jackson
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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1.2WhyStudyHistory?

Let'sfaceit,ourfirstexperiencewithHistoryisthatitisacoursethatwehavetotakeinorderto
graduate.AsajuniorandseniorhighschoolstudentweareconfrontedwithAmericanhistory,
statehistoryandperhapsevenageneralcourseinwesterncivilizationorworldhistory.We
didn'thaveachoice.Andthefactthatweareforcedtotakehistoryputsusontheoffensive.We
begintobuildthatgrandiosebrickwallthatwillpreventusfromgettinganythingimportantoutof
history.
ThemainproblemasIseeit,isnothistoryitself.Thestudyofhistorycanbefun.Butthere'sonly
onethingthatcanmakeourfirstexperiencewithhistoryamiserablethingindeed:andthat'sa
poorinstructor.Iwasfortunate.Imanagedtohaveanumberofexcellenthistoryinstructors
throughoutmyhighschoolyearsandthiswasatatimewhenIwasleaningtowardthephysical
sciences,geologyandbiologytobeexact.Imightnothavebeenanexcellenthistorystudent,but
Idorememberhavingexcellenthistoryteachers.
Fine.That'smyexperience.Butexperienceaside,whystudyhistoryinthefirstplace?What
couldhistoryofferthebusinessmajor?thestudentintendingtostudywebpagedevelopment?
thestudenttakingherfirstpsychologyclass?orpremedstudent?orthelawyer?ortheworker
ontheshopfloor?Well,simplystated,everythinghasahistory,whetherwelikeitornot.Even
historyitselfhasahistory.Tryhardaswemight,wecan'tescapethepast.Wecan'tletgoofthe
past.Andwecelebratethepastallthetime.
Youmayhavebeentoldthatwestudyhistorysothatwewon'trepeatthemistakesofthepast.
Thisisthewishfulthinkingschoolofhistoricalinterpretation.It'stooclean.Ifwehavelearned
fromthepastthenoverthecenturiesweoughttohaveaccumulatedsomuchknowledgethat
thingslikewar,poverty,injusticeandimmoralityoughtnottoexist.Ofcourse,we'vestillgota
longwaytogointhisrespect.
Youmayalsohaveheardthateverythingrepeatsitself,soifwestudythepast,wecanbesure
toknowsomethingofthefuture.Idon'tholdtothisvieweither.Toinsistthatthestudyofthepast
willrevealsomethingofthefutureisaniceidea,butwhatIreallywanttoknowaboutisthe
present.Historycannot"tell"thefuture.Historycan,ontheotherhand,revealallthatisthe
present.So,facedaswearewiththequestion"whystudyhistory?"Icanonlyhopetoanswerby
tellingyouwhyIstudyhistory.
Wellfirstoff,bystudyinghistoryyoucanstudyanythingforthesimplereasonthateverythinghas
ahistory:ideas,wars,numbers,races,windsurfing,coalminers,pencils,motherhoodandyes,
eventoilettraining.Ifirstbegantoappreciatethestudyofhistoryasanundergraduatestudying
politicalphilosophyatBostonUniversity.IwasprettykeenonPlato,Aquinas,Dante,Hobbes,
Locke,Godwin,Marx,Millandahostofother"greats."ButwhatIsoondiscoveredwasthatmy
lackofunderstandingofhistory,i.e.theactualhistoricalcontextinwhichthesewritersconceived
andexecutedtheirtheoreticalwork,mademyunderstandingoftheirphilosophyonesided.Sure,
Iknewwhattheyhadtosayaboutliberty,ortheproletariat,ormonarchyorthefranchise.But
whatwasthehistoricalenvironmentthatgaverisetotheirideas?Ideasarenotakintoballoons
hangingfromtheceilingofClio'sden,waitingtoberetrievedbyaMarx,aMilloraPlato.Ideas
haveahistory.Theyundergoaprocessofdevelopment.Theychange,aremodified,are
distributedorareforgottenonlytoreappearyears,decadesorperhapsevencenturieslater.
OnceIrealizedthisfactitwasquitenaturalthatIturnmyattentiontohistoryitself.Andwhynot?I
couldstillstudyMarxorMillorPlato.OnlythistimeIcoulddoitfromthegroundup,sotospeak.
Thissortofapproachmakesmebetterabletovisualizehistoryinadifferentway.Itgivessome
senseof"pastness"tothepast.
ButwhydoIbother?What'sthepoint?Well,forme,it'saSocraticissue.Socrateswasaman
ofknowledgebutnotthatmuchknowledge.Asafreshmaninhighschoolyouprobablyknew
morethanSocrates.But,Socrateswasawiseman.Hehadwisdombecauseheknewonlyone
thing:thatheknewnothing.His"job,"sotospeak,wastoquestiontheAthenianyouth.Itwasnot
enoughtoknowsomething.Youhadtoknowwhyyouknewit.Andthis,ofcourse,broughthim
tothegreatestquestionofall:whatisknowledge?Whatcanweknow?Well,forSocrates,
again,hisknowledgeconsistedintherealizationthatheknewnothing.ThisSocraticironyleaves
usratherhighanddrybutIthinkthereisagreaterissueatstakehere.
ForSocrates,perhapsthehighestvirtuecanbesummedupinthephrase,"Knowthyself."In
otherwords,ofallthethingsinthephenomenalworld,thereisnotonesoimportantasyourself.
Toknowyourselfmeanstobeawareofwhatitisthatmakesyouwhoyouare.Andinthis
respect,theonethingwhichrevealsthisknowledgeishistory.Butpeopledonotlivealone,they
liveinsociety.Anditisinsocietythattheindividualcomesintocontactwithotherindividuals,all
ofwhomareonthesamequest,invaryingdegrees.So,forSocrates,knowledgeofselfdoes
nothingeuponreflectionorintrospection,butconversation,hencetheSocraticdialogue.
TheSocraticdialogueimpliesthatinstructorandstudentmeetonanequalfooting.Dialogue
meansconversationbetweentwoormorepeople.AndwhatisthepointofSocraticdialogue?
Improvement.Selfimprovementoftheinstructorandselfimprovementofthestudent.
SowhydoIstudyhistory?orwhydoIteachhistory?Well,formeit'saformofselfishness.I
wishtoimprovemyself.AndbyimprovingmyselfIalsoimproveothers.Thisclassical
pedagogicalmethodiscalledtheSocraticmethod.Ifyourinstructorisn'tatleastfamiliarwithit,
thenI'mafraidyourhistoricaleducationisgoingtosufferasaresult.
CanyoulearnhistorywithouttheSocraticdialogueasyourguide?Yes,itcanbedone.AllIam
tryingtosuggesthereisthatyourexperiencewithhistorywillbeamuchricheroneifyoukeepin
mindthathistorymeansselfknowledgeandasstudents,thatshouldbeoneofthemost
importantthingstoyou.

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