Patrick Porter, The False Promise of Liberal Order: Nostalgia, Delusion and the Rise of Trump (Polity Press, 2020) In 1985, the historian William H. McNeil wrote an essay that challenged the idea of history as a means for avoiding the mistakes of the past. According to McNeill, the study of history was imperfect. Its true significance was to provide humanity with a “collective memory.” Without it, states would be deprived of their “best available guide for action.” We can’t use history to avoid the mistakes of the past, McNeill argued, because historical events unfold differently and in isolation across … Continue reading Reflections on Ordering the World
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Reflections on Ordering the World
Patrick Porter, The False Promise of Liberal Order: Nostalgia, Delusion and the Rise of Trump (Polity Press, 2020) In 1985, the historian William H. McNeil wrote an essay that challenged the idea of history as a means for avoiding the mistakes of the past. According to McNeill, the study of history was imperfect. Its true significance was to provide humanity with a “collective memory.” Without it, states would be deprived of their “best available guide for action.” We can’t use history to avoid the mistakes of the past, McNeill argued, because historical events unfold differently and in isolation across … Continue reading Reflections on Ordering the World