What Does History Teach? Two Edinburgh Lectures

by John Stuart Blackie

"What Does History Teach?" by John Stuart Blackie is a collection of philosophical lectures written in the late 19th century. The work exerts a deep examination of the nature of humanity, society, and the lessons history imparts, particularly regarding the structures of the state and the church. Blackie explores the evolution of human societies, emphasizing the roles of invention, progression, and the significance of family in historical contexts. The opening of the text lays a foundational argument that human beings are defined by their ability to innovate and progress, contrasting this with animals which function predictably. Blackie argues that history reveals man as a species that aspires to ideals, shapes societies based on familial units, and evolves through interactions that undermine simplistic primal structures. He discusses three social platforms—prehistoric, pastoral, and agricultural—and the transformational role these stages have on societal organization, while also noting the importance of authority, particularly familial authority, in forming the basis for later political systems. The early sections foreshadow the more extensive exploration of state and church dynamics that follow in the lectures.