As I've often noted, it's sad that few people have a decent grasp of history.
Given that what has come before is both a strong indicator and a significant influence on what is now and what's to come, it seems odd that many folks choose to remain ignorant of the past.
History is vast. So much has gone before. And if the Doomsday Argument is considered valid, quite a bit is still to come.
As such, it seems to me that those with a reasonable interest in the future should also have a reasonable interest in history as well.
If one accepts that, the question becomes: "Where do I start?"
Given that SoylentNews is an English language site, most users likely live in cultures evolving from The Western Tradition. That seems like a good place to start.
The series entitled The Western Tradition* is a personal (as Eugen Weber points out, history is inherently a personal journey) journey through the history of Western civilization.
The video series above consists of 52 half-hour episodes. That seems like a lot, but consider that the series covers many thousands of years.
As such, the series must go through all this very fast. But, as Dr. Weber points out, here in America, we do everything fast. For example, here's the history of man in four minutes or so.
Regardless, I invite you to check this out and share it with others, especially children, as it provides a good look at how we got to where we are now (and, if cogitated upon, can provide us with some clues as to where we might be going).
Do any of you have suggestions to supplement the above? Including the works of Gibbon, Spengler and Spheeris.
Also, what (if anything) has history meant to you? Has it impacted your thoughts and actions in the present and/or your ruminations about the future?
Let's discuss.
*Updated playlist that's actually in order/complete. Thanks to Hendrikboom for calling me out on my laziness with the initial link.
The Past Is Prologue
As I've often noted, it's sad that few people have a decent grasp of history.
Given that what has come before is both a strong indicator and a significant influence on what is now and what's to come, it seems odd that many folks choose to remain ignorant of the past.
History is vast. So much has gone before. And if the Doomsday Argument is considered valid, quite a bit is still to come.
As such, it seems to me that those with a reasonable interest in the future should also have a reasonable interest in history as well.
If one accepts that, the question becomes: "Where do I start?"
Given that SoylentNews is an English language site, most users likely live in cultures evolving from The Western Tradition. That seems like a good place to start.
The series entitled The Western Tradition* is a personal (as Eugen Weber points out, history is inherently a personal journey) journey through the history of Western civilization.
The video series above consists of 52 half-hour episodes. That seems like a lot, but consider that the series covers many thousands of years.
As such, the series must go through all this very fast. But, as Dr. Weber points out, here in America, we do everything fast. For example, here's the history of man in four minutes or so.
Regardless, I invite you to check this out and share it with others, especially children, as it provides a good look at how we got to where we are now (and, if cogitated upon, can provide us with some clues as to where we might be going).
Do any of you have suggestions to supplement the above? Including the works of Gibbon, Spengler and Spheeris.
Also, what (if anything) has history meant to you? Has it impacted your thoughts and actions in the present and/or your ruminations about the future?
Let's discuss.
*Updated playlist that's actually in order/complete. Thanks to Hendrikboom for calling me out on my laziness with the initial link.
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