How reliable is the study of history?
Isn't all history suspect? We can't even get reliable stories 100% of the time for what happens in our present day and age, let alone centuries bygone. How can we apply the scientific method to something in the past? How do we know who are the reliable historians and who are the charlatans? Aren't all historians biased giving their own limited perspective and interpretation of historic events? If I wasn't there to witness the event, then I'm just trusting another's word, and that person could either be lying or misrepresenting what actually took place. Other than being entertained by good stories, what is the practical benefit of studying history since it depends on the word of many who often disagree? Many think the Bible and the account of Jesus Ressurection from the dead as reliable, time-tested history. Does a general concensus determine the accuracy of the history being told?
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31 comments (26 - 31)
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Most history is nuanced by the current power that be to fit it's purpose. You have to willing to dig back to see the truth, and that is ephemrial. That is why the Sayatayana quote is used so often, "Those that ignore history will be forced to relive it. And then the corarally, those that study history will be forced to watch it repeat itself!"
BillF
Level 7
Mar 12, 2018
0
well its a guide and sometimes history is able to be well documented or authenticated but we would do well to remember that history is always written by the Victors. I am not particularly interested in History don't claim any for my self and I do like watching documentaries on any history to see how the story has gone and might go.
jacpod
Level 8
Mar 12, 2018
0
My history teacher told us that you must treat all history books as biased and as we didnt live at the time of when the books were written we would never truly know the truth . A good historian will read numerous texts , discoveries and make a patchwork of the evidnece to get the truth and even then you won'T get the 100% truth but as close as
Simon1
Level 7
Mar 12, 2018
0
You had a good history teacher then. So many fail to point that out. Read from as many points on any subject as you can. Weigh the possibilities based on the political and social views of the time. I think the more a person reads on any one topic, the more information one can have, the easier it is to piece together the puzzle of the events in question and fill in the blanks.
History was my worst subject in high school. I passed with a B, because of my excellent note taking. If I didn't have my notes to study from, I would've failed it.
Sarahroo29
Level 8
Mar 11, 2018
0
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