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Web Exclusives: More letters from alumni
about Knowing history, yes; but whose? Although the methodology of Alex Rawson's survey (On the Campus, May 16) was a little suspect, I think the main point stands: Ignorance of history is still at a pretty high level among those who are (or will be) among the most highly educated. Every few years, someone does a survey like this and there is a big hue and cry. (In Canada, my home country, a similar story was published during my last year of high school.) Of course, all of this might be an improvement over the past: I should like to see the results of a similar poll taken in the 1950s, if it existed, before I would forecast the downfall of American democracy. Although it's awfully important to have a global perspective, the fact remains that Princeton is a university in the United States, hopefully educating some of the USA's future leaders. If those persons don't have a certain base level of knowledge about its history, the country's institutions do suffer. In attempting to provide breadth, sometimes we sacrifice depth. I think that a certain deeper understanding of history should be the province of an informed and active citizen. Also, although we celebrate the international character of our student body, we must face the fact that over 90 percent of undergraduates are American citizens. Furthermore, given that the rest of the students have chosen to study at an American institution, they might benefit from a grounding in American history. I might also add that Rawson suggested that this additional education happen at Princeton, not before. An additional requirement, though perhaps tiresome to a few students, would not actually prevent anyone from studying here.
I don't think it's merely a game of Trivial Pursuit (invented by
a pair of Canadians, incidentally) to ask students about the history
of the development of the Constitution or other major events. (Given
the recent prominence of the Supreme Court's decisions, it might
be useful to know why it is able to strike down laws...) In an era
of declining political participation, such knowledge might actually
be of assistance in allowing citizens to create or continue a civil
discourse. Is it so terrible to be knowledgeable about the history
of one's own country? Benjamin Sharma '03 Respond
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