What's Been Said About History

Thanks to reader Janet Busch, in the process of looking for the precise wording of a quote, I stumbled upon a treasure trove of history quotes.

David Ben Gurion, first Prime Minister of Israel, stated: "Anyone who believes you can't change history has never tried to write his memoirs."

Edward Gibbon, author of "The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire", and considered by many to be the greatest historian of all time, said: "I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of experience. I know no way of judging of the future but by the past."

Etienne Gilson, a French Historian and Philosopher, said of history: "History is the only laboratory we have in which to test the consequences of thought."

American Philosopher George Santayana said: "Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it."

American humorist and writer Mark Twain said: "To arrive at a just estimate of a renowned man's character one must judge it by the standards of his time, not ours."

This quote is attributed to Thucydides, though I believe the website to be false (I'm pretty sure that Dionysius of Halicarnassus said this): "History is philosophy teaching by examples."

While I may not agree with the personal philosophies of many of the people who said these things, I can agree with the essence of what they said.  I cannot emphasize enough the importance of learning history, of understanding history, and of living by the principles taught via history.  Janet Busch, however, can:

"...it struck me how important it is to have intellectuals who are able to bring past experiences in human ways of life to light, especially at critical times (like now). I have certainly felt the lack of it these days. It is easy to see how Americans, generally speaking, have become unarmed against enemy propaganda; we have stopped teaching history and replaced it with "culture studies." Learning about the particulars of tribal dancing or food preparation doesn't tell you anything about the ideas that rule the culture, nor does it teach you how to make a judgment about it. It is a stark lesson (and a really good reason to have this site!)"

Amen.

---Jason Roberts

Comments

[Stephen Grossman]

If liberals are the "educated" part of America, why don't they use the classics in public debate? Obviously, the history of Greece and Rome show too clearly the destructiveness of skepticism and moral relativism.