역사를 왜, 어떻게 배워야 하는가? - 근대 초 영국의 교육담론 분석 -

Abstract

What is the good of learning history? This article seeks the answer of this long standing question that Marc Bloch had asked almost 70 years ago. The inquiry demands us to go back to the beginning phase of history education. The emergence of history education, however, has been remained somehow a blurry field located between two disciplines, history and education. To grasp the condition of history education in this early stage, I analyze 13 major educational treatises that appeared in England from the 16th century to the 18th century. History education was a product of Renaissance Humanism. During the 15th century, many humanist scholars in Italy initiated so-called ‘the educational revolution’ which set the basic format of modern education. New discipline of Studia Humanitatis came to include history along with grammar, eloquence, moral philosophy, and poetry. Under the influence of Renaissance Humanism, England began to adopt the new educational discipline from the 16th century. Due to the rigid conventionalism of the educational institutions, however, new curriculum was exercised in the sphere of private education and through the tutorial system of universities. The educational treatises of the early modern England claim that nothing teaches, so nothing delights more than history. They argue that learning of this pleasant subject could even cure illness. Also, history is seen as the most profitable study because it instructs people in matters moral, political, and military, in which one could settle their judgement. Although the study of history is beneficial to all sorts of people, it is counted as the chiefest study of young nobleman. New elite who were born or aspired to place in society must know history for their consequent duty of social service. Chronology and geography were supposed to assist to the study of history. Students were recommended to be acquainted with the several historical epochs, but the most important historical period to study was the Latin history. To read Roman history involved the necessity of a first hand study of Livy. Greek history mostly meant Thucydides, Xenophon, or Plutarch. Studying his own country’s history was also emphasized. The benefits of learning history in early modern period, which was portrayed in this article, include a kind of ‘Humanities Therapy’ that claims to cure of physical disease, not merely psychological indispositions.