Death is the sound of distant thunder at a picnic.
W. H. AudenRead
History is, strictly speaking, the study of questions; the study of answers belongs to anthropology and sociology.
Interpretation
What this quote means
History focuses on the questions we ask about the past, while anthropology and sociology deal with the answers related to human behavior and society.
W. H. Auden's quote highlights the distinction between history and the social sciences. It suggests that history is not just about what happened, but rather it emphasizes the inquiry into the 'how' and 'why' of events, positioning itself as a discipline that seeks to understand the questions posed by historical phenomena. In contrast, anthropology and sociology build upon these historical questions to provide answers, thereby showcasing the interplay between these fields of study in understanding human societies.
Themes
HistoryQuestionsAnswersAnthropologySociologyStudy
In practice
Example use cases
During a lecture on historical methodology, this quote could emphasize the importance of questioning in historiography.
More from W. H. Auden
All quotes βThat the speech of self-disclosure should be translatable seems to me very odd, but I am convinced that it is. The conclusion that I draw is that the only quality which all human being without exception possess is uniqueness: any characteristic, on the other hand, which one individual can be recognized as having in common with another, like red hair or the English language, implies the existence of other individual qualities which this classification excludes.
W. H. AudenRead
Nobody knows what the cause is, though some pretend they do; it like some hidden assassin waiting to strike at you. Childless women get it, and men when they retire; it as if there had to be some outlet for their foiled creative fire.
W. H. AudenRead
Music is the best means we have of digesting time.
W. H. AudenRead
'Healing,' Papa would tell me, 'is not a science, but the intuitive art of wooing nature.'
W. H. AudenRead
Murder is unique in that it abolishes the party it injures, so that society has to take the place of the victim and on his behalf demand atonement or grant forgiveness; it is the one crime in which society has a direct interest.
W. H. AudenRead
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