To understand the current purpose of an ideology, religion, or political system, the original intentions of its founders or thought leaders are irrelevant.
As a historian, I am deeply interested in the history of a movement, and I appreciate that you acknowledge that this can be important.
I love the message, though, that the current impact is what really matters, not the original intentions.
I have found that the best history does not examine just intent, but also impact. Maybe we can agree that "original intentions" are irrelevant (and often misstated for political reasons), but it IS worth studying the historical impact of ideologies, religions, and political systems? What did the founders actually do, and what impact did they have on the people and systems around them? That's the kind of history I enjoy reading.
Absolutely! Like I loved reading Peter Drucker's own explanation of Management by Objectives, which is not at all how it is practiced now. It made so much more sense.
As a historian, I am deeply interested in the history of a movement, and I appreciate that you acknowledge that this can be important.
I love the message, though, that the current impact is what really matters, not the original intentions.
I have found that the best history does not examine just intent, but also impact. Maybe we can agree that "original intentions" are irrelevant (and often misstated for political reasons), but it IS worth studying the historical impact of ideologies, religions, and political systems? What did the founders actually do, and what impact did they have on the people and systems around them? That's the kind of history I enjoy reading.
Absolutely! Like I loved reading Peter Drucker's own explanation of Management by Objectives, which is not at all how it is practiced now. It made so much more sense.