QuoteProject
History is the long struggle of man, by exercise of his reason, to understand his environment and to act upon it. But the modern period has broadened the struggle in a revolutionary way. Man now seeks to understand, and act on, not only his environment, but himself; and this has added, so to speak, a new dimension to reason and a new dimension to history.
Edward Hallett Carr
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote reflects on humanity's ongoing quest to understand both the world and ourselves, highlighting a shift in focus in modern history.

Edward Hallett Carr's quote emphasizes that the study of history is not just about understanding external environments but also about introspection and self-awareness. He suggests that in modern times, humanity's struggle has evolved to include understanding ourselves, which enhances our reasoning and changes the way we interpret history and our place in it.

Themes

HistorySelf-AwarenessUnderstandingReasonModernity

In practice

Example use cases

Discussing the significance of historical study in a philosophy class.

More from Edward Hallett Carr

What distinguishes the historian from the collector of historical facts is generalization.
Edward Hallett CarrRead
History consists of a corpus ascertained facts. The facts are available to the historian in documents, inscriptions and so on, like fish in the fishmonger's slab. The historian collects them, takes them home, and cooks and serves them in whatever style appeals to him.
Edward Hallett CarrRead

Similar quotes

I use New York to talk about home, but the ideas in 'Colossus' could be transferred to other cities. The story about Central Park is really about the first day of spring in any park. The Coney Island chapter is really about beaches and summer and heat waves.
Colson WhiteheadRead
Evolution is the creation-myth of our age. By telling us our origin it shapes our views of what we are. It influences not just our thought, but our feelings and actions too, in a way which goes far beyond its official function as a biological theory.
Mary MidgleyRead
For from the error of not knowing, or understanding, what sin is, there necessarily arises another error, that people cannot know or understand what grace is.
Martin LutherRead
Life is very fleeting. It’s important to be gentle and optimistic. We look behind and think what we’ve done in this life has been good. It was simple; it was modest. Everyone creates their own story and moves on. That’s it. I don’t feel particularly important. What we create is not important. We’re very insignificant.
Oscar NiemeyerRead
Man became free when he recognized that he was subject to law.
Will DurantRead
Those who play with the devil's toys will be brought by degrees to wield his sword.
R. Buckminster FullerRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.