The Importance of the Role of History and Classical Studies in the Moulding of Man

Abstract

In these brief reflections on the role of History and Classical Studies in the shaping of man I should like to pay homage to the work of your Committee, in which History and, in particular, Geography, employing diverse other sciences, endeavour to give to mankind in an unbiased manner the possession and knowledge of a considerable and largely unknown section of his past and of his present terrestrial domain. ... History thrusts itself upon us as part of our formation in the sense that it is a continuous process, manifested, accepted, and lived. ... to be unaware of History and to depreciate literary culture is to be ignorant of man and to abandon hope of his improvement. ... If one accepts that man is capable of evil one also has to accept that he is capable of good. The dreadful crimes of the past and present should be contrasted with the wholly admirable and marvellous feats and creations revealed by genius, saintliness, and ordinary humble humanity. ... if History appears to be a minor science in conjunction with the exact sciences it is only because its completely unique character is misunderstood. It is not the mission of History to discover new laws and thereby to create useful techniques. Its raison d'être is completely original. In a sense History will always remain more real than the sciences where the subject and result are abstract. History provides the point through which all general knowledge is inserted into reality, for the real is always individual. ... History engenders a "wisdom" which is not easy to put into a formula but which shows man his limits and his capabilities. It begets a moderation which the ancients expressed in the word "Nemesis", which guards against false adventures but gives at the same time a zest for risk. ... Humanities are a normal channel for the moulding of man's character and a way of accepting fundamental values difficult to acquire otherwise. To form a man is to help him discover his inner self; once this path is open he is ready to go out and meet others. ... So, the first duty is to help man understand himself .... To be able to do this he needs to be familiar with the experience of other men - to have had patient and continued contact with the enduring witness to posterity of the lives and writings of men from past centuries. There lies the inheritance preserved and communicated by classical literature. ... if man wishes to surpass himself and aspire to the heights, the only way to do this is through his inner being: as Saint Augustine has expressed so admirably, "from without to within, from within to the sublime". ... It is by looking inwards that one becomes fit to communicate and hold a real dialogue with another. In discovering others one discovers oneself and becomes able to listen to others. ... In becoming more conscious of the wonderful riches within the framework of our own horizons we are in a better position to avoid misunderstanding cultures coming from another sphere. ... The important thing is to keep the essential values within view: man's discovery of his inner self, thence the real discovery of others. The more we bear these values in mind and the more we come to understand the significance of history and of the classical disciplines, so much the more may we hope for their progress and enrichment through the extraordinary contributions of these times in which you yourselves are so actively engaged. ...