Selectiveness 1+ conflicting interpretations + distortion of historical facts = inadequate understanding of the past: Some key limitations of history

Abstract

Some studies have shown that most individuals, groups of people, institutions and whole societies are still interested in, and use, history for several reasons and purposes, one of which is the value they find in the study of the past. At the same time, other studies have established that interest in history, as a subject studied in schools and as a repository of our individual and collective past, has declined appreciably partly as a result of some major shortcomings associated with the study of history. Of course, one cannot accurately measure the extent to which the shortcomings of historical studies have contributed to the contemporary decline in interest in the discipline. What is certain, however, is that history, like any other science, is saddled with some problems which make it unable to fulfill all the demands society make on it. In fact, there are several limitations of history we can talk about. Using both primary and secondary documents, this study examines selectiveness, conflicting interpretations, distortion of historical facts, and inadequate understanding of the past as some of the major limitations of history, from a ‘cause-and-effect’ perspective. The study examines the first three problems as some of the major causes of the last problem and concludes that in the final analysis, all four constitute some of the key shortcomings of history, and, thus, cautions consumers of historical studies to be very circumspect in their consumption of historical knowledge. The study finally argues that there is still need for more historical studies, in spite of these problems, because it is only through more historical analyses that we can reduce the impact of these same problems on historical reconstruction