Without history we are the prisoners of the accident of where and when we were born.
Donald KaganRead
Throughout the human experience people have read history because they felt that it was a pleasure and that it was in some way instructive. The profession of professor of history has taken it in a very different direction.
Interpretation
What this quote means
History provides pleasure and knowledge, but its academic study can diverge from this enjoyment.
In this quote, Donald Kagan highlights the dual nature of history as both an enjoyable and instructive subject. While many individuals engage with history out of a natural curiosity and appreciation for the stories it tells, the academic study of history can sometimes become overly focused on methodologies and theories, distancing it from the pleasurable experience that many readers seek.
Themes
HistoryEducationLearningPleasureAcademic
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in an academic lecture to discuss the purpose of studying history.
More from Donald Kagan
All quotes →I can see that you are a true historian because you really always ought to ask that question about anybody at a different place or a different time: What's the same and what's different?
Donald KaganRead
War has been more common than peace, and extended periods of peace have been rare in a world divided into multiple states
Donald KaganRead
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