2007-08-21 18:56:23 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Arts & Humanities ➔ History
The idea is that people keep making the same mistakes (or, if not mistakes, doing the same things). For example, the same missteps keep leading to wars; fashions are in style, go out of style...and then come back in; people swear after a bad experience they will never drink again, but do.
While certain events throughout history have been strikingly similar, the idea that history repeats itself is questionable. The causes of World War I and World War II, for example, were different (the wars were really one war, with a 20 year break to "grow" more troops).
The historian Daniel Boorstein wrote "History does not repeat itself...but it rhymes all the time." He may have been playing a game of semantics, but I agree with his sentiments. The direct causes and effects of historical events are never exactly the same. Still, certain themes are constant (good/evil, greed, ignorance, arrogance, progress, etc.), and we seem to repeat the same mistakes...but under differing circumstances.
Whatever the case may be, many people believe we humans refuse to learn the lessons of the past. According to George Hegel, "The one thing history undoubtedly teaches us is that people have never learned anything from History."
2007-08-22 06:33:32 · answer #1 · answered by epublius76 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It's happened enough times to have become a cliche, but it's nonetheless true for all that.
Why does history repeat itself? Because human beings just can't seem to learn from the past, and keep making the same mistakes over and over again.
2007-08-22 11:22:31 · answer #2 · answered by Chrispy 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
World War 1 - Civil unrest leads to Germany leading the war
World War 2 - Economic/Social civil unrest leads to Facism, Germany leading the war.
Fear and ignorance leads settlers and soldiers to slaughter native Americans and break treaties.
Fear and ignorance and possible loss of income leads the South to break from the North in the civil war.
Fear and ignorance leads to segregation in the south, including several murders of African Americans during the civil rights era.
An outspoken Nazarene Carpenter goes against societal norms and preaches peace, is later killed on a cross
2000+ years later
MLK Jr., outspoken, anti-establishment speaker of peace is assasinated.
Mahtma Ghandi, outspoken leader for peace is assinated by Hindu fanatic when speaking for peace between factions.
2000/2001 election - allegations of miscount in presidential election, many of which are minorities, several news outlets declare Bush...G.W. wins it.
2004 - allegations AGAIN of miscount and computer error - several news outlets declare Bush.....G.W. wins it again.
1960's - U.S. involved in Vietnam - administration calls it a police action..thousands killed. Many speculate war had more to do with guarding financial concerns than halting communisim.
2007 - War with Iraq officially over - administration says so. Insurgent violence still going - soliders still losing lives...guess where our major oil pipeline runs through?
Does history repeat itself? What do you think?
2007-08-22 02:19:59 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
a past cause of destruction, violence, greed and the aim to gain power does maneuver the peoples mind to do the same thing as what had happened before, it is as if been written already and just waiting to checked out and be marked as done...
2007-08-22 02:20:14 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
well its kinda sad to see it repeat itself. if something bad happened and yet it happens again and we did nothing to stop it the second time? that kinda scares me.....but thats just me.
2007-08-22 02:06:31 · answer #5 · answered by SomeGuy44 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's true, happens time and time again.
2007-08-22 02:03:46 · answer #6 · answered by neooxyconservative 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you read you will know and not be able to dispute it.
2007-08-22 02:04:49 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋