The Dangers of Prophecy
Max Beloff looks at what he (and other historians) got wrong (and right) about the future 50 years ago.
The dramatic events of the last few years in Eastern Europe and in what was the Soviet Union have not done much for the credibility of academic 'experts'. Historians have done no better than social scientists in keeping up with what has been going on or in forecasting the next turn in the story. Does this suggest that historians should stick to describing and explaining the past and steer clear of giving advice about the future?
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