Planning on becoming a historian and history professor...

And who exactly did he offend?

Flat earth, pancreas denial, human history is faked, simulation theory, hindu supremacy theory

seriously mate just be as controversial as possible accuracy and insight arent real brah

In all seriousness though find out elements of history that have obviously just become myth or tropes and turn real critical insight on them. That adds value. Although I kind of question revisionism as a method to me its normally just a front to the same old whigs and marxists pretending that they're challenging assumptions.

I like really biased history, so just do Catholic apologetics or something. But choose clearly indefensible figures. I've often thought there would be a nice book to be written about how the unreformed Church was the pinnacle of Western achievement

I'm not sure if you can make deeper contributions to past events but i'm sure that current world politics will be well remembered in future (Arab Spring & Syrian Civil War, Mexican War on Drugs, Putin's Russia, Chinese Involvement in Africa, Refugee Crysis) so i guess being a Journalist is kind of worth it.

*crisis
fuck me

Aren't history minors like 12-18 credit hours pretty much everywhere? You could practically get a history minor on accident at most state schools.

Its essentially impossible to form useful insights on current events though. Things only make sense in hindsight

That oughta offend some people. I'll only do it if I have enough evidence to prove it right and to be taken seriously, lest I lose my job.

Journalism isn't my kind of thing, sorry.

>on accident

and they will all be forgotten eventually too

True. Although if you did it from a secular humanist perspective it probably wouldn't even be controversial. A favourable biography of Julius II would be gold tho

(You)

Well, it's been about 2340 years since the death of Alexander the Great. I'm sure not forgetting him any time soon.

When will they be forgotten? During the end of the world or something? If so, I guess you're right.

Guess I just gotta hide my religious affiliation then. Didn't know I'd have to do that in America in 2017 but beggars can't be choosers I guess.

uhh yeah, pretty much. by the third or fourth year in a poli sci or classics or linguistics or journalism major, you'll find that you've already completed most of the requirements for a history minor.

On a semi-serious note, if you want to raise hackles today, write some meta-history, instead of about history proper, write about historiography. I've often thought myself that it's a bit odd that feminist history so rarely focuses on the colossal and endemic death in childbirth that was pretty much everywhere before modern medicine and how that affected gender relationships, political power, hell, pretty much everything. You could write something very polemic about how they don't hype up that aspect because it can't be parlayed into political power today, and by extension that feminist historians are intellectually dishonest.

At my school is 18 hours, 12 have to be upper division. If you have AP or IB credits going in it's piss easy to get but if your on a normal diploma track I doubt you'll have the credit hour room to get the required 18.

Damn. I never thought of that. So you mean specialising in "history", but also in making theories? Basically history and philosophy at once?

He offended everyone's sensibilities by being a such a flaming retard

Well, even regular historians often make theory and narrative. Proper academic history isn't just making lists of fact.

You a Roman?

Realistically it would depend how you went about it. It would always trigger Protestants though

Glad someones raised this. All history is narrative

Yes, I'm technically Roman Catholic. I've been having a little internal debate about my faith, though I doubt I'll become an atheist.

Thank God. Despite this being my dream job, I was worrying that all I'd do was parrot what a textbook says.

If you're teaching in a grade school or some other primary school, yeah, that's what you'll very likely be doing. But university professors are a different breed. Hell, if you get a full professorship at a reasonably prestigious university, you probably won't be doing that much teaching at all, except to a few graduate students you're helping write their own papers. Your job will mostly consist of research and writing.

Well, I did say "professor" and not "teacher" for a good reason.

Oh man, I'm actually getting excited about my future now. When was the last time this happened?

Yes don't become an atheist, beyond anything else I just find it incredibly dull. I suppose if you go hardcore Neitzsche style maybe its alright but mainstream atheism is utterly depressing and pointless. Catholicism is the best Christian denomination by far, and I think the best of the 'desert religions'

Also I kind of think its important to be whatever your family were. I'm wary of cross cultural converts

I'm sure it doesn't have to be, but my experience with Protestantism is that its just violently anti-intellectual. I wonder what Luther / Calvin etc would think of their followers now

The closest I'd be to becoming an atheist is if I were to become a deist, or believe in no religion while believing in the possibility of God, or a higher being, just not the Abrahamic one.

I've never had any interaction with Protestants save the librarian, who's a very kind lady actually.

Aha fantastic. Yes there is something quite spiteful in the Abrahamic notion of God I think, when you had the Renaissance in Europe it was as though people had chosen to ignore this but of course it reasserted itself.

Do you live in a mainly Catholic area then?

It is exciting. In answer to the original question though, the answer is just read read read. And not just history, you need a solid grounding in philosophy, the main economic theories and (im not a natural fan of fiction, but its true) major works of literature.

In terms of making a living, historians who write about things that seem relevant to current events always seem to do slightly better. Sometimes this comes across as shite but done well its actually very valid and interesting. A big part of history is using it to understand the present

Past is prologue

I'm a bit of a heterodox Catholic, since I believe the Bible is so open to interpretation. The kind of God I believe in is somewhat of a blend between the Abrahamic God, and a sort of "Metaphysical" God. The kind of God that deists most likely believe in. I still haven't completed my belief system though. It's not that I'm forming a religion or anything.

By the way, are you an atheist or a christian? Haven't been able to figure that out.

To answer your question, I come from a Colombian family.

I actually love both history and philosophy. I practically study those as a hobby. Though so far it's been mostly quick information as opposed to reading a whole book to completion. I have read philosophical books though, don't get the wrong idea. I'm also a huge fan of literature (mostly literary fiction. I'm not that big a fan of genre fiction or nonfiction, but I have read some of those which I enjoyed). As for economics, I am actually taking Economics class. So far, I'm doing alright.

I'll take your advice. Thank you very much.

Interesting. As for me I would say somewhat similar. I believe in God, but that is separate from religion in my view. I have some serious doubts about Christianity, I respect the traditions and I don't think its wise to just abandon it. I think certain tenants of it have been massively destructive but its also very deeply entwined into who and what we are, even for secular people.

Sounds like you are on the right path then, good luck

Thanks man. Take care.