Lecture by Professor Frank Füredi from the session 'Is there a 'right side of history?' The war against the past' recorded at the Living Freedom Summer School 2024
Previously, public institutions might have boasted of their past, marking anniversaries and celebrating ancestors. But history is now viewed as something alien and hostile to us. Representations of the past as malevolent, oppressive, exploitative and even abusive aren’t confined to academics seeking to ‘decolonise the curriculum’, but have become the norm throughout almost every institution in public life. The past seems to be viewed by many as a dark and immoral place, and those keen to defend long-standing traditions can be seen as a little bit dodgy.
Even school students used to know that a proper understanding of history requires us to differentiate contemporary social norms and values from that of those long dead. So why do we seem to have lost that ability to step back and take a nuanced view of our history? Without an understanding of our past, how do we know who we are in the present - or what we might want to become in the future?
LECTURER
Professor Frank Füredi, director MCC Brussels; author, The War Against the Past
LIVING FREEDOM
Living Freedom exists to renew freedom through education and debate, offering young adults the opportunity to explore ideas and debate ideals as they relate to the past, present, and future of freedom. See www.livingfreedom.org.uk and @LivingFreedomUK on social media.
IDEAS MATTER PODCAST
Ideas Matter is a podcast that takes the most important issues of our times and explores the ideas and intellectual trends that have shaped where we are today. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
Email us at info@ideasmatter.org.uk
