Neither the truth nor the character of history depend, in any way… — Michael Oakeshott · Skopia

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Philosophical literature

Neither the truth nor the character of history depend, in any way, upon its having some lesson to teach us. And if ever we persuade ourselves that the past has taught us something, we may be certain that it is not the historical past which has been our teacher.

Michael Oakeshott

1933

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Other tags relating to this quote

Topic

Learning from the past

Genre

Philosophical literature

Time

Person

Michael Oakeshott

Provenance

Citation

Oakeshott, Michael. Experience and Its Modes. Cambridge University Press, 1933, ch. 3, sect. 4.

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