U.S. Intellectual History Blog

Why We Need Intellectual History (An Ongoing Series)

From the “forum” section of today’s Peoria Journal Star:
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Many years ago the Marxists in Russia rioted against the czars. They killed them and their children, replacing them with Lenin, then Stalin and his terrible regime, slaughtering and imprisoning many.

Years later, Hitler wanted to take over Germany. He made the Jews his villains. Germans rioted and killed and distracted while he took over Germany.

Now the Marxists of our country, with the help of the president, are using the same tactics. Rioting against businesses, investors and the wealth that makes our country the best in the world.

They want all of us to be poor. Those in power become rich as they gradually tax away the wealth of the country.

G______ M_____

Lacon, IL
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Is it still a violation of Godwin’s Law if occurs in the forum section of a newspaper? – TL

4 Thoughts on this Post

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  1. Let’s start with history before we move to intellectual history. Crawling before walking, Tim, crawling before walking.

  2. Varad and Tim, I feel like you are both right. However, I feel that history should be more than just a study of events; it should be a study of the intellectual nature behind how history unfolded.

    I am a senior in college and currently taking a class called the “history of economic theory and method.” Essentially the class discusses the conclusions of historical economists/ philosophers; but its importance is that the class is a study of how all events (current and historical) and past theories/conclusions spurred new economic theory development.

    Creating a comprehensive history, using a intellectual, scientific, and innovative theories infussed with anthropology would be beneficial for two reasons:

    (1) it would serve as a tool to understand the cause of history and WHY it unfolded the way it did; and

    (2) the exposure to this historical development would ideally drive society to build on ideas/innovations and prevent future negative events.

  3. @Brian: Point taken on Schock. The 2008 rhetoric on Obama was out of hand then, and only appears worse over time.

    @Anon 1:10 PM: Absolutely on history being more than the study of events. That’s why we care about the history of ideas here at USIH. – TL

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