IS HISTORY OF ANY USE FOR INTELLIGENCE PREDICTION?
Prof Lars E. Bærentzen
(Prof Lars E. Bærentzen studied classic and modern Greek Philology in the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. Prof Lars E. Baerentzen taught Modern Greek and Balkan History and he published many articles on the Greek History in the 1940s. Copenhagen
Copyright: Research Institute for European and American Studies (www.rieas.gr) Publication date: 1 July 2017
Note: The article reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily the views of the Research Institute for European and American Studies (RIEAS).
History is sometimes described, by those who see little hope of learning anything from it, as “just one damned thing after another”.
Others take a more optimistic view of the usefulness of history. Ludvig Holberg, a great Danish historian and dramatist (who was born in Norway) wrote in an essay published in 1748:
“I consider the study of History, second to God’s words, to be the most useful and the most important of all, when it is read in the proper spirit. I get to know countries; I get to know human beings; I get to know myself; Yes, I learn to prophesy, for one may judge from what is past about what is going to happen in the future, and therefore one may, in some way, consider every learned historian a Prophet. Moral studies can certainly be very useful; but History has a more powerful effect, when it is read with thoughtfulness and when it is of the right kind.” ..Read more