Review: ‘History: why it matters’ ~ Lynn Hunt
We justify our actions in the present through our understanding of the past. But we live in a time when politicians lie brazenly about historical facts and meddle with the content of history books, while media differ wildly in their reporting of the same event. Frequently, new discoveries force us to re-evaluate everything we thought we knew about the past. So how can any certainty about history be establish ed, and why does it matter? Lynn Hunt shows why the search for truth about the past, as a continuous process of discovery, is vital for our societies. History has an essential role to play in ensuring honest presentation of evidence. In this way, it can foster humility about our present-day concerns, a critical attitude toward chauvinism, and an openness to other peoples and cultures. History, Hunt argues, is our best defence against tyranny. Author: Lynn Hunt Publisher: Polity ~~~ This was the first book I read in 2020 and surprisingly it is non-fiction! I truly started ...
