history - why bother
DESCRIPTION
A series of quotes to prompt class discussion. The first 6 take a negative view of the study of history, and the last 6 take a positive view. I used it with my Year 11 History class to get them to discuss what history is and why it is important.TRANSCRIPT
History
HistoryWhy bother?
Historyistheliecommonlyagreed
upon.(Voltaire)
Historyisonlyaconfusedheapoffacts.
(G.K.Chesterton)
Ifamancouldsaynothingagainstacharacterbutwhathecanprove,historycould
notbewritten.
(SamuelJohnson)
Thepastisuseless.Thatexplainswhyit
ispast.(WrightMorris)
Historyisanargumentwithoutend.
(PeterGeyl)
Whatexperienceandhistoryteachisthis‐thatpeopleand
governmentsneverhavelearnedanythingfromhistory,oractedonprinciplesdeducedfromit.
(G.W.F.Hegel)
Historyisapeople'smemory,andwithout
memorymanisdemotedtotheloweranimals.
(MalcolmX)
Historyisthewitnessthattestifiestothepassingoftime;itilluminatesreality,vitalizesmemory,providesguidanceindailylife,andbringsus
tidingsofantiquity.
(Cicero)
Thefunctionofthehistorianisneithertolovethepastnorto
emancipatehimselffromthepast,buttomasterandunderstanditasthekeytotheunderstandingofthe
present.
(E.H.Carr)
Thestudyofhistoryisthebestmedicineforasickmind;forinhistoryyouhavearecordoftheinfinitevarietyof
humanexperienceplainlysetoutforalltosee;andinthatrecordyoucanfindyourselfandyourcountryboth
examplesandwarnings;finethingstotakeasmodels,basethingsrottenthroughandthrough,toavoid.
(Livy)
Thosewhocannotrememberthepastarecondemnedtorepeatit.
(Santayana)
Anationwhichdoesnotknowwhatitwasyesterday,does
notknowwhatitistoday,norwhatitistryingtodo.
(WoodrowWilson)
Ifyoudonotlikethepast,
changeit.
(WilliamL.Burton)