What is History for?

Summary

The script challenges the common perception of history as dull, arguing that it is essential for providing solutions to contemporary problems. It emphasizes the importance of history in offering good ideas, teaching change, and inspiring courage. By learning from the past, we can appreciate our current advantages, judge our society against historical contexts, and find consolation. The script suggests that history should be taught as a tool for addressing present issues, rather than merely for academic interest.

Takeaways

• 📚 History is often perceived as boring due to a lack of clarity on its purpose in the present.
• 🔍 The true value of history lies in its ability to offer solutions to contemporary problems.
• 🌐 Society's obsession with the present can overshadow the importance of historical insights.
• 📰 The news media's focus on current events can lead to an underappreciation of historical perspectives.
• 💡 History is a rich source of good ideas that can be applied to modern challenges.
• 🤔 Engaging with historical movements, like the Levellers, can provide fresh perspectives on current issues.
• 🏰 Understanding the history of concepts, such as pilgrimage, can enrich our views on modern practices like vacationing.
• 🛠 History demonstrates that societal norms and values have evolved and can continue to do so.
• 💪 Learning from history can inspire courage by showing that humanity has faced and overcome great challenges before.
• 🌟 History serves as a tool for appreciating our current advantages and for gaining a broader societal perspective.
• 📖 The teaching of history should be reformed to focus on addressing present-day deficiencies and prescribing relevant historical knowledge.
• 👨‍🏫 Historians should aim to connect the past to the present by highlighting lessons that can aid in solving today's issues.

Q & A

Why is history often perceived as boring?

History is often perceived as boring because it is not presented in a way that connects its relevance to current problems and solutions. Traditional teaching methods may focus on dry facts and dates rather than the practical applications and lessons that history offers.

What is the main argument presented for the importance of history?

The main argument for the importance of history is that it can provide us with solutions to many of the problems of the present. It introduces us to ideas and perspectives that are not sufficiently visible in the modern world.

Why does society have a bias towards the present?

Society has a bias towards the present because of the influence of news and media, which focuses on recent events. This creates an obsession with current affairs and a neglect of historical knowledge that can provide valuable insights and lessons.

What does the script suggest we need more than anything else?

The script suggests that what we need more than anything else are good ideas, which can be found in abundance in history.

How can studying the history of the Levellers help with dissatisfaction in contemporary capitalism?

Studying the history of the Levellers, a group of English radicals from the 17th century, can provide alternative perspectives and ideas on economic and social justice that may help address dissatisfaction with contemporary capitalism.

What can we learn from the history of pilgrimage about the purpose of going on holiday?

The history of pilgrimage can enrich our understanding of the purpose of going on holiday by showing us the motives and spiritual significance that people attributed to their journeys to distant shrines, which can offer a deeper meaning to modern travel.

What does the saying 'Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it' imply?

The saying implies that a lack of historical knowledge can lead to the repetition of past mistakes, suggesting that understanding history is crucial to avoid making the same errors.

How can history teach us courage?

History can teach us courage by showing us that even in the face of great challenges and adversity, such as the sack of Rome or the Lisbon earthquake, people have persevered and overcome difficulties, which can inspire us in our own struggles.

What role does history play in appreciating our advantages?

History serves as a tool for appreciating our advantages by providing a comparative perspective. It allows us to judge our society against other societies throughout history, rather than solely against our ideals, and to recognize the progress that has been made.

How should history be taught according to the script?

According to the script, history should be taught in a way that addresses current issues and lacks. It should be treated like a medicine cabinet, where the study of history is prescribed based on what is needed in the present, such as courage, inspiration, or a broader perspective.

What is the goal of historians as suggested by the script?

The goal of historians, as suggested by the script, is to be clear about the problems in the present they are trying to solve and to explicitly aim to tell us things about the past that can help us with issues of today, focusing on history with solutions or consolations for the present.

Outlines

00:00

😴 The Common Perception of History

Many people find history boring due to uninspiring lessons on topics like the 100 Years War, crop rotation in the Middle Ages, and Florence Nightingale's deeds. This leads to a general avoidance of the subject, which is unfortunate because history's perceived dullness stems from a misunderstanding of its purpose.

🔍 The True Value of History

History matters because it offers solutions to contemporary problems. It introduces us to valuable concepts that aren't immediately apparent in today's world, providing perspective and ideas that are often overlooked due to society's obsession with the present.

💡 Good Ideas from the Past

History is a rich source of good ideas. For example, dissatisfaction with modern capitalism can be informed by the Levellers' history, and questioning the purpose of holidays can be enriched by understanding the history of pilgrimage. History demonstrates that societal norms and practices can change.

🛠️ History's Practical Applications

The saying 'those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it' is misleading. History is not just about avoiding past mistakes; it's also about improving the present. It teaches courage and perspective, showing that our current challenges are not unique or insurmountable.

🔎 Appreciating Our Advantages

History helps us appreciate the advantages we often take for granted. By comparing our society with those of the past, we can better understand and value our present circumstances, despite their imperfections.

💊 History as a Prescription

History should be taught as a tool for solving current issues. By diagnosing societal problems and prescribing relevant historical lessons, we can use history more effectively. Historians should focus on addressing today's issues through lessons from the past, making history more practical and interesting.

Keywords

💡History

History is the study of past events, particularly in human affairs. In the video's context, history is presented not as a series of boring facts but as a source of valuable lessons and solutions for contemporary problems. The video emphasizes that understanding history can help address current issues by providing insights and ideas from the past.

💡Good Ideas

Good Ideas refer to valuable concepts, practices, and insights that have been developed over time. The video suggests that history is full of good ideas that can help us improve the present. For example, it mentions that studying the Levellers' ideas can provide new perspectives on modern capitalism.

💡Bias towards the present

Bias towards the present describes the tendency to focus excessively on current events and trends, neglecting the importance of historical context. The video argues that this bias limits our understanding and appreciation of valuable lessons from the past, which can help address today's challenges.

💡Solutions

Solutions are answers or methods for solving problems. The video posits that history is a treasure trove of solutions to contemporary issues. By learning from past successes and failures, we can find effective ways to deal with current problems.

💡Courage

Courage is the ability to confront fear, pain, or adversity. The video highlights that history can teach us courage by showing how people in the past overcame significant challenges. This perspective can provide inspiration and strength in facing today's difficulties.

💡Materialistic

Materialistic refers to a focus on material possessions and wealth. The video suggests that history reveals how different societies have valued non-materialistic aspects of life, providing alternative perspectives to our current materialistic tendencies.

💡Connected

Being connected refers to the state of being linked or engaged with others, especially through modern technology. The video contrasts today's obsession with connectivity with historical periods where social bonds and communication were different, encouraging us to reflect on the quality of our connections.

💡Improvements

Improvements are enhancements or betterments. The video argues that knowing history can help us make improvements in the present by learning from past experiences. This challenges the notion that history is only about avoiding past mistakes.

💡Appreciation

Appreciation involves recognizing the value or significance of something. The video states that history helps us appreciate our current advantages by comparing them with past hardships. This can lead to a more balanced and grateful perspective on our present circumstances.

💡Historians

Historians are experts who study and write about history. The video suggests that historians should focus on solving present-day problems through their work, providing relevant historical insights that can help address contemporary issues rather than simply documenting the past for its own sake.

Highlights

History often seems boring due to a lack of understanding of its purpose.

History matters because it provides solutions to present problems.

History introduces us to things we need that are not visible in the present.

Society is biased towards the present, ignoring valuable lessons from history.

History is full of good ideas that can improve contemporary life.

Reading about historical movements, like the Levellers, can offer new perspectives on current issues.

The history of pilgrimage can enrich our understanding of the purpose of holidays.

History teaches us that societal norms and values can change over time.

Knowing history helps in avoiding the repetition of past mistakes and improving the present.

History provides examples of courage and resilience in the face of adversity.

Comparing our society with past societies can help us appreciate our current advantages.

History can teach us to judge our society against others rather than against our ideals.

Historians should focus on telling us things about the past that can help with present issues.

History should be treated like a medicine cabinet, used to address current deficiencies.

Good history should mean history with solutions or consolations for today.

Transcripts

If you had the misfortune to do too much of it at school, you’ll probably remember one

thing about history: just how boring it can be.

You might harbour painful memories of the 100 Years War, the War of Spanish

Succession, Crop Rotation in the Middle Ages or - heaven forbid - the good

deeds of Florence Nightingale.

As a result, it wouldn’t be surprising if - nowadays - you tended to steer well clear of the whole topic.

But that would be a pity. The real reason why history is so boring is that we’re not

clear about what it should be for.

Here’s the big reason why history matters: it matters because it can provide us with

solutions to many of the problems of the present.

At its best, history is there to introduce us to some of the things we need but that

aren’t sufficiently visible in the world today.

As a society, we’re very obsessed by what we’re up to right now.

Unknowingly, we’re hugely biased towards the present. The news - which is about the

most prestigious force in the world today - circles obsessively around some of the things

that have happened in the last five minutes

and yet, many of the most important things that we need to nourish, sustain and inspire us

are a lot older.

What we nowadays need above all else are GOOD IDEAS

and history is full of them. Imagine you’re dissatisfied with aspects

of contemporary Capitalism. It might help hugely to read

about the HISTORY of the Levellers, a group of English radicals writing and acting between

1645 and 1650. Or if you question what the point of going

on holiday is, you might dramatically enrich your thoughts by considering the HISTORY of

pilgrimage, especially the motives which people had for trekking off

to visit distant shrines.

History teaches us that THINGS CAN CHANGE.

People haven’t always been as they are now: materialistic and work obsessed.

unable to build nice architecture, over-concered with being “connected”

or hung up on being absurdly thin

There’s an annoying saying that goes: THOSE WHO DON’T KNOW HISTORY ARE DOOMED TO REPEAT IT.

But that’s suggesting the only thing history is full of is mistakes.

Yet it's as fair to say, those who don't know history

won't be able to IMPROVE the present.

History can also teach us COURAGE. It’s easy to feel, when you’re pressed up against

the present, that things are exceptionally awful right now

but they rarely are, once you open the lens wide enough.

The present isn't unusual in its levels of mediocrity and compromise. Once you read the

letters, the old guys were just as bad. And though our challenges

are of course great, they aren’t exceptional - when compared with say, those facing the

survivors of the sack of Rome or the Lisbon earthquake.

History ends up as a tool for the APPRECIATION of some of our advantages which is easy to miss.

It can teach us to judge our society against other societies rather than against

our ideals. Of course the European Union has problems, but the Habsburg Empire

had them too and many more. Our governments are deeply imperfect, but there have been worse.

Traffic is terrible, but so was the siege of Leningrad.

History can console.

Getting clearer about what history is for should change how the subject is taught. In

the future, we should treat history a little like a doctor treats a medicine cabinet.

Before diving into history, we’d first have to work out what was wrong with us, what we

were lacking in the here and now. We be might diagnosed for a lack of courage, or a spoilt

nature or a hesitation about whether to marry. And we should be prescribed history accordingly

For their part, historians themselves should get clearer about what problems in the present

they’re trying to solve. They should explicitly aim to tell us things about the past that

can help us with issues of today. Not the past for its sake, but the past for our sakes.

Good history should always mean: history with solutions or consolations for today.

Now that could be interesting…