ABSTRACT
The historian of education's duty not to abuse or misuse the record of the past to advance contemporary causes is clear. Critical reflection is to be generally encouraged and is in accord with the contemporary culture of the Western world. On the other hand, Depaepe's argument that duty to the current generation is to be expressed only in intrinsic or methodological terms is too restrictive.14 Of course it can be argued that it is not necessary to know our past in order to know ourselves. Indeed, there have been many instances, for example, via emigration, where individuals or members of a community have deliberately chosen to forget their histories and start afresh. Nevertheless, our journeys in the present and future may benefit from the possession and understanding of an accurate map of the past. History provides the memory and the curriculum vitae of the human race. Past deeds are no guarantee of future performance, but the historian's role in recording and interpreting what has gone before has the potential to enlarge our understanding of the human condition with reference to particular public activities, including education. It may also be important in the promotion of informed discussion and decision-making. As Simon Jenkins has argued:
I cannot debate the Middle East with anyone who knows nothing of the story of Palestine. Nobody can fathom the depths of America's current paranoia who has not read of Pearl Harbor. An analysis of an economic downturn is worthless without an analysis of previous ones. Any event is part of a continuum. Without history we are infants. All good news becomes ecstasy and all bad news disaster.15
