- Question
- Is history important?
- Position‹2 of 2
- History is not important
- Argument‹3 of 3
History distracts from the present and future
Studying history distracts us from living and learning in the present, and planning and preparing for the future.
The argument
The argument concerns the allocation of attention rather than the value of the past in itself. Time and attention are finite, and every hour spent studying history is an hour not spent on the circumstances a person actually inhabits or on preparing for the ones coming next. The cost is real even where the subject is interesting, because the alternative uses of that time are not hypothetical. The case is strengthened, on this view, by the pace at which conditions now change. Today's environment is fast-paced: the technologies, the institutions, the economic arrangements and the problems they generate are not those of a generation ago and will not be those of the generation ahead. Knowledge drawn from the past is knowledge of a world that no longer operates on the same terms, which limits how far it can guide action in this one. The further back the material, the weaker the correspondence. There is also a disposition at stake and not merely a timetable. Living in the present demands being in the present — attending to what is in front of you and treating it on its own terms rather than through the frame of something that happened before. A habit of looking backwards keeps a person's head in the clouds of the past, and someone in that posture responds to the current situation more slowly and plans for the next one less well than someone who is not. What follows is a judgment about priority rather than a claim that history is false or worthless. The question is what deserves the attention available, and proponents of this position answer that the present, which can still be acted on, and the future, which can still be planned for, have the stronger claim. Measured against them, studying history is a distraction, and on that basis history is not important.
Premises
Counter-arguments
History helps us to understand the present because it gives us an insight into cultural and economic influences on today's world. By studying the trends and outcomes of historical events, it can help inform decisions or prevent mistakes from being repeated in the present.
Rejecting the premises
[Rejecting P1] History informs and influences our society, which has a direct impact on our daily lives. [Rejecting P2] Wisdom from the past can help us shape our future.