The Levels of History

An introductory lesson on the nature of history and the historical process

Abstract

Every history teacher who has practiced the craft for any time has had some well-meaning colleague from another discipline observe, "Well, at least you teach a subject that isn't constantly changing; once something has happened it can't be changed." Of course, those of us in the discipline understand both the denotative and the connotative meaning of this statement, with its insinuation that the historian does not need to keep abreast of new developments in his field as the speaker does in his. We may just laugh along with our self-satisfied colleague who has just delivered himself of some version of this (in his own mind) profound and humorous observation. We may not want to take the time to disabuse him of his naivete. I admit to having taken this path of least resistance at times.