Inspired by an email from a longstanding and attentive listener, this Sidebar episode examines an essay by Gordon Wood introducing his book The Purpose of the Past. We consider what it means to have a “historical sense,” and the humility that comes with it. We also look at the history of the debate over the purpose of history, and briefly at the difference between critical theory, on the one hand, and teaching the “ugly parts,” on the other.

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Selected references for this episode

Gordon Wood, The Purpose of the Past: Reflections on the Uses of History

David Motadel, “The Political Role of the Historian,” Contemporary European History, 2023.