What does a study of history tell us about wealth and power? (1)

Popular dogma says that the past is done and has no usefulness for the present or the future. Everything is new and different today: technology, science, values, … each individual can create his or her life without having to pay attention to past lessons. It is better to reinvent the wheel in each generation than to have to learn about the past.

Nevertheless, not everyone subscribes to this empty picture of reality.

Why do some people believe that it is useful to study history? Here are some thought to ponder:

We study history to give perspective, an understanding about the past, what people have done and thought and lived through.

We study history to give us an understanding of things that are outside of our own experience.