tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6641738716446631837.post6809650217165387793..comments2023-08-27T12:35:12.308+02:00Comments on sanscrite cogitare, sanscrite loqui: What is the use of studying history?elisa freschihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17068583874519657894noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6641738716446631837.post-28534711093585339102011-05-09T21:54:07.489+02:002011-05-09T21:54:07.489+02:00Thanks Jayarava, interesting comment. I would adju...Thanks Jayarava, interesting comment. I would adjust your statement by saying that we find new ways to do the same mistakes, so that they are not evidently the "same" ones. In this sense, the history of mankind resembles that of an individual always claiming that the present one is her "last cigarette". But perhaps studying history can give us, as observers, the ability not to be cheated. This applies to politics, but also to the academic world, don't you think?<br /><br />(And yes, in 2-3 generations most of us will be forgotten and in 10 all of us. The few names remaining are just exceptions, and they only regard a small fraction of the geographic world and a much smaller one of the historical one.)elisa freschihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17068583874519657894noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6641738716446631837.post-4015261223203980642011-05-09T20:57:40.213+02:002011-05-09T20:57:40.213+02:00I like this one Elisa. I came late to the study of...I like this one Elisa. I came late to the study of history. We did little at primary school (and I later discovered that our 'history' was lies anyway) and then at secondary school I wanted to do chemistry and could not do both. I only started to think about history in my 30's when I become interested in ancient India and Japan.<br /><br />I think it is true that we keep making the same mistakes - regardless of culture we all make the same mistakes! We do not learn the lessons of history, at least "we" collectively do not. This is one of the things I've learned. Human beings and human civilisation has not changed as much as we like to think. <br /><br />Perhaps we study history to confirm that we <i>are</i> making the same mistakes?<br /><br />I also discovered that in 2 or 3 generations 99.9% of us are completely forgotten. History doesn't care about us personally, only about the grand narratives. We mostly leave no trace, except perhaps in our genes (and mine are not being passed!)Jayaravahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06815277098386812048noreply@blogger.com