Niall Ferguson: belief

Transcript context

…If you look at the broader history of historicism, and you look at the Germans or Scott, there seems to be this odd connection between historicism as a mode of thinking and excessive preoccupation with leadership — Carlyle also. Where does that come from, that connection? And is that a danger or is it a virtue? Well, I’m not sure it’s unique to the historicist. After all, Hegel has his moments of idolizing Napoleon, doesn’t he? The historicists ultimately produced in Meinecke somebody who transcends great men. I think one has to look at it partly from the vantage points of 19th-century publishing. If you think about how history evolves as a discipline, it’s partly propelled by the publishers in the 19th century, and they did like biographies. They knew what we know now — biographies sell, so there was an incentive to write biographies. When Meinecke sought to break free of that — and I think Meinecke is, in many ways, one of the most important and profound historical thinkers — it’s probably not that commercially successful. But you’re asking questions now about the philosophy of history, a subject that is largely lost these days. Most historians are remarkably indifferent to the philosophy of history. I think it’s a great loss that we no longer really ask these questions. We no longer read Meinecke. “Causality and Values” is one of Meinecke’s great essays. It should be required reading for history undergraduates, but I bet you it isn’t assigned anywhere in the United States today. Who is the most profound philosopher of history?…

Stored transcript either side of the excerpt. The highlighted words are the published quote; the surrounding text is unedited source, never generated.