Ep. 66: Creative Historical Thinking, with Michael Douma, Part One

Michael Douma joins us for the first part of a two-part series to discuss how we see the past as as an interpretative history. He argues that history is a creative discipline because we choose to arrange facts in a certain way.Douma goes through his new book, Creative Historical Thinking, and how he typically asks his students to draw a timeline of their lives or a timeline of American history. Quite often, each students’ timeline forms differently. Relating that to the study of the past, Douma argues that every timeline a historian draws, is a different interpretation of the past, creating history. Everyone has a different mental model or “timeline” in which they view their lives and that allows history to be a creative endeavor.Is the past simply what happened? With that in mind, is history our interpretation of the past? Is history how we give meaning to the past? What is the difference between an error in conception and an error in fact? If you had to drawl the timeline of your life how would you drawl it?Further Reading:Michael J. Douma websiteCreative Historical Thinking, written by Michael J. DoumaWhat is Classical Liberal History?, written by Michael J. DoumaMusic by Kai EngelRelated Content:What is the Importance of History, written by David BoazIs there a Purpose to History?, Free Thoughts EpisodeWhat is Classical Liberal History?, Liberty Chronicles Episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.