[lbo-talk] An Appeal to Ignorance

[Jim Devine]

It's true that one can't make perfect analogies between the past and
the present; thus historical knowledge cannot give us foresight.
(Nothing can.)  But the "history is bunk" attitude is ridiculous,
since at least reading history stimulates thought, encouraging us to
"think outside the box." Partial analogies can help.

Anyway, isn't this Paul Valery claiming to have learned from history?
("Nothing was more completely ruined by the last war than the
pretension to foresight.") BTW, what _is_ the logic behind his
sweeping assertion? is there any reason to respect this fellow's
opinion?


> "History will justify anything. It teaches precisely nothing, for it  contains everything and furnishes examples of everything...Nothing was more completely ruined by the last war than the pretension to foresight. But it  was not from any lack of  knowledge of history,surely?...The trouble with our times is that the future  is not what it used to be. [Paul Valery]<

-- 
Jim Devine
"Segui il tuo corso, e lascia dir le genti." (Go your own way and let
people talk.) -- Karl, paraphrasing Dante.