As historians, our aim is to do our utmost to understand and elucidate past reality. At the same time, in pursuit of this goal, we must use ordering concepts that by definition inevitably introduce an element of distortion. I believe that our task as historians is to choose concepts that combine a maximum of explanatory power with a minimum of distortional effect. Paul A. Cohen
About This Quote

The assumption that historians must strive for a correct understanding of the past, while at the same time introducing an element of distortion in order to achieve this goal, is a common belief amongst historians. In this quote, Niall Ferguson explains the importance of valid concepts and how they should be applied to history writing. What he says is very true because it has been proven time and time again that the ideas we use to explain the past affect how we view it. The past can never be recreated exactly as it was; however, through our choices in what we choose to include and exclude from our studies we can produce a better understanding of history and its relevance to us today.

Source: Discovering History In China: American Historical Writing On The Recent Chinese Past

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