Definitions HQ

History (n.) always ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠forces a trade-off: a history that teaches us more and explains less, or one that explains more and teaches less.

History (n.) that ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠textbooks credit to anonymous forces working in deep obscurity can, in a moment of lucidity, be made by a handful of determined, talented young people.

History (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a method with no object of its own — and, as is said of certain careers, it may lead to anything, provided you get out of it.

History (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠never just history but always history-for: an account of the French Revolution cannot be the Jacobin's and the aristocrat's at once, though each is equally true.

History (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠let into a cold society only as a form without content: there is a before and an after, but their sole meaning is to mirror each other.

History (n.) in ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a philosophy that ranks it above all else plays exactly the part of a myth: an abstract schema of men making history, held the way primitives hold their eternal past.

History (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠often distinguished by two types of society: A progressive, acquisitive type, in which discoveries and inventions are accumulated to build up great civilizations... and another type, possibly equally active and as talented, but lacking the gift of synthesis which is the hall-mark of the first.