It was not long ago that universal history used to be part of the curriculum in secondary schools. A solid understanding of the key historical periods, their ideas and leading figures was a precondition for graduation.
Students were required to grasp the historical sequence that began with Ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt, Ancient Greece and Rome, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and so forth.
On the one hand, the study of history helps us place things in perspective, and on the other hand, it enables us to prevent repeating the mistakes made in the past. I regard it as naive to want to grasp the lessons from history without having gained a solid overview of the timeline.
Without historical perspective, nobody can understand the events taking place today, and without understanding, it is not possible to choose the correct course of action; no wonder that, in view of the diminishing knowledge of history, people keep repeating the same mistakes.
Each historical period is dominated by a particular doctrine or philosophy. It also encompasses a concept of happiness that drives people to act in a certain way. That explains why people in Ancient Greece undertook bold commercial expeditions, and people in the Middle Ages rarely ventured out of their village.
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