History
Errors

The possibility of a science of history includes, and requires, the possibility of getting better. One can learn from one's own errors, as Confucius so well remarks:

To make a mistake and not correct it; that is the real mistake (LY 15:30, c0300)

but the errors of others are also a rich field, not to be neglected by the serious student. In this section we have collected a few examples. Some are duplicated in the Outline, but may be more accessible here. The moral of these examples is simple; Don't Get Suckered Out. Examine the credentials of a text, a rumor, or a psychological assumption before including it in your interpretation of an event, or your theory about a historical sequence. Everybody is going to drop the ball once in a while, but don't make a habit of it. Get a little smart about the invitations to belief, or to a certain view of humanity in general. If it appeals to you, meaning, if it appeals to your cultural reflexes, you may need to be extra careful about it.

Errors

• Buckingham Palace
• The Gnedenko Factor
• The Horn Papers
• Lincoln
• The Lisbon Earthquake
• Marco Polo Bridge
• The Solipsism Trap
• Wilhelm Tell

We are open to suggestions for useful additions to this page; things not to be fooled by, or not to keep doing. Contact us at the mail link below.

6 Feb 2006 / Contact The Project / Exit to History Page