The study of history is commonly associated with three uses. The first is the development of a distinctive sense of origins and heritage. The great Polish born Oxford philosopher, Lezek Kolakowski, formulates it best: “We learn history not in order to know how to behave or how to succeed, but to know who we are”.
Secondly, people believe that a study of the past can help the present generation to deal with intractable problems their society faces and also to become good citizens. A corollary of this is the view that communities that do not heed the lessons of history are bound to repeat past errors and blunders.
There is, thirdly, the belief that a deep understanding of history helps us to discern the shape of the future.
To summarise the three claims briefly:
- History tells us who we are and where we came from;
- It helps us to deal with the problems we currently face and to become good citizens; and
- With a good grasp of history we can anticipate the future.
This article attempts to assess these claims critically.
Read the full article (PDF) by professor Hermann Giliomee.
