Despite the fact that it can seem remote and pointless, history is more than just some obscure subject taught in classrooms. Studying it can help us understand the world around us, as well as ourselves. It helps to develop reading and writing skills, builds critical thinking and research abilities, and even boosts overall wellness. According to Southern New Hampshire University’s Dr. Robert Denning, everyone benefits from understanding the past.
While historians may agree on some basic standards of practice, they often debate virtually everything else. They may disagree on what events should be included, how to study those events, or even the exact cause and effect of a particular event.
Historians also differ on how to weigh historical significance. For example, they can disagree about the significance of a particular person or event—the crucifixion of Jesus, for instance—and this is where personal opinion and subjective reasoning enters into the conversation. Historians can be quite passionate about the significance of an event, which makes them less likely to be objective when analyzing it.
Another reason for historical controversy is that historians often attempt to reinterpret the past in order to apply it to the present. For example, studying how the Ancient Romans incorporated foreign peoples into their empire could be useful in dealing with modern immigration concerns. Or, a look at how the United States and Russia handled their Cold War conflict could be relevant in discussing current tensions between the two countries.
While it is helpful to consider how the past might inform the present, historians must be careful not to misuse the past by turning it into a weapon in culture wars or for other ideological purposes. Using history to justify a particular view of the world is no different from a nation using its own history as a justification for a war or a genocide. Inventing histories that have no clear ethical value is equally dangerous.
What’s more, determining what really happened in the past is a very tricky enterprise that involves all sorts of emotional baggage. Even a single brief event can take on thousands of meanings as all sorts of people impose their views on it. The crucifixion of Jesus is a perfect example, as are the trials and tribulations of Cleopatra, Boethius, Joan of Arc, Thomas a Becket, Martin Luther King Jr., and all the other people who have been killed for their beliefs in what history should mean.
Ultimately, though, a good historian’s goal is to understand how the past actually did affect the present. The more that we learn about the past, the better we can understand how to shape the future. Historians should not allow their discipline to be clumsily wielded as a weapon in the ongoing battles of identity politics and self-flagellation that seem to define so much of our time. Taking this step would ensure that we have the best possible chance to live in a more peaceful and enlightened future.