On the Study of the Past

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I HAVE CHOSEN TO SPEAK tonight on the study of the past, more particularly on the approach to history and the motives which have impelled scholars to its study. I shall take my examples from the study of ancient India, but I believe that the principles they exemplify apply very widely. To those of you whose study lies in places other than India I hope that analogies will suggest themselves within your own fields. In the last ten years I have heard and read a great many pronouncements on study of all sorts. As regards the study of ancient history I have heard it said that it should be approached scientifically, or social-scientifically or humanistically. One orientalist, a friend of mine and in other respects a good man, has even suggested that the study of ancient history should not be approached. On the other hand, I have heard the study of the past highly praised and the most various motives assigned for its pursuit: that it broadens one's knowledge of man, that it enables one to guess at the future, even that it leads one to the absolute truth that was discovered by such and such a Zen Buddhist in the ninth century. What rubs against my grain in these pronouncements is that they are made so dogmatically and that the proponents of one approach or motive so often exlude all others. Epeccially is this true between the scientists and the humanists, between those who demand dispassion in our studies and those who insist on a strong emotional involvement, be it philosophical or religious or artistic. When puzzled by contradictory statements it is good method to move to a new area, an area of agreement, and then see if you can reason back to the area of difficulty. So from disagreements about approach and motive I recommend a temporary removal. I have been often struck when working with Sanskritists by the fact that while our interests in Sanskrit and our attitudes to our study differ very greatly, we agree closely in our estimation of other