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AOK: History

AOK: History. Today: Consider different theories of history and evaluate causes of important historical events. Theories of history?. WHAT IS THE FACTOR THAT MADE THE DIFFERENCE?!?!?!??!?!

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AOK: History

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  1. AOK: History Today: Consider different theories of history and evaluate causes of important historical events.

  2. Theories of history? • WHAT IS THE FACTOR THAT MADE THE DIFFERENCE?!?!?!??!?! • “The human universe is so enormously complicated that to speak of the cause of any event is an absurdity.” • H.A.L. Fisher

  3. Casual Factors… • General factors that may contribute to significant events in history: • Geographical conditions • Social and economic conditions • Individual motives • Chance occurrences

  4. ? • Think about some of the different countries in our world. To what extent do you think that a country’s history has been influenced by its geography? • United States? • Canada? • Italy? • Sweden? • Mexico? • _______________?

  5. “Great Person” Theory • The course of history is mainly determined by great individuals • “The history of modern Europe can be written in terms of three titans: Napoleon, Bismarck, and Lenin.” –A.J.P. Taylor • Implication: If these individuals had not existed, history would be very different

  6. ? • If you could travel back in time and interview ONE character from history, who would it be? • What are at least three questions you would ask him?

  7. ? • Hitler seeks a job as a stage designer. Too afraid to knock. • “If Hitler has been taken up by Roller, he would have been very happily engaged as a stage designer. It would have been heaven for him.” –Frederick Spotts • How different do you think 20th century history would have been if Hitler had summoned up the courage to knock on Roller’s door?

  8. Great Person Theory: Empathy • Empathy? • R.G. Collingwood • “all history is the history of thought.” • Use empathy to understand history the way an agent would • Criticisms • There are merits, but it is difficult to empathize with the mean monsters of history

  9. How important are individuals? • Does the great person theory exaggerate the role played by individuals in the process of historical change?

  10. Economic Determinism • History is determined by economic factors (Karl Marx!) • It is not great individuals but rather technological and economic factors that are the engines of historical change. –Marx • I can predict history! • Was influential, but now rejected…it is intuitively implausible to predict history from a study of history.

  11. ? • What invention do you think has had the most decisive impact on history in the last 2,000 years? Explain.

  12. Quote • “The history of the world is but the biography of great men.” • Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881) • Agree? Disagree? • What does the word “great” mean in this quote?

  13. Quote • “What is history but a fable agreed upon?” • Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) • To what extent is this quote true? • What are some events in history that you feel are “fables” and explained inaccurately?

  14. Quote • “No man ever yet tried to write down the entire truth of any action in which he was engaged.” • T.E. Lawrence (1888-1935) • Thoughts? • Agree? • Examples?

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