History does not repeat it self.

Now that we have agreed upon the meaning of the phrase in question, specifically that the phrase "history repeats itself" is used to remind people that the past contains knowledge applicable in future crisis and events, and that knowledge of past events will help a person, and or nation, to overcome potential and current problems, I shall make my case. I also accept my Opponents extension on the idea of the phrase in question. I will start by asserting that this phrase is invalid, in its agreed upon meaning, because that lessons taught to us from ancient historians such as, Thucydides (c.460 BC – c. 395 BC) or the ancient roman historian Liv (c.59 BC - c. 17AD) and even more modern historians such as, Leopold von Ranke (1795 – 1886) or E. H. Carr (1892 – 1982), are only applicable in the context of their times. That is to say that the context of our present time renders the lessons of the past, created in a different context, invalid. Contemporary problems present new and complex difficulties then those of the past, although in a general sense there exist some similarities between past and present problems, it is the specific variables to these problems, along with the knowledge of past events, that differentiate them and renders the lessons of the past invalid. This action of citing the past for president on average shows insufficient regard for historical context, a key principal in the modern historiographical practice of historical awareness. Thucydides make a rather bold statement when asserting the idea that studying past events on could help future generations to avoid these problems or alt least be prepared to deal with them. Thucydides, like most early historians, lacked access to creditable historical sources. Owing to a lack of alternative evidence, Thucydides used Homers Iliad, as a source in his introduction to his writings on "pre-historic" Greece. (Thucydides, The Peloponnesian War, I. 1 Crawley, London, J. M. Dent & Sons, 1910, p.9) In his writings Thucydides notes the questionable accuracy to witch Homer has adhered to when writing the Iliad, basing it off earlier oral traditions. Thucydides admits that the information that he is citing, and therefore drawing conclusions about, may not be accrete. We see here that Thucydides had limited access to historical evidence in his time and that the evidence he did have was questionable in its credibility, therefore we may infer that the lack of credible historical evidence available to Thucydides gave him a limited viewpoint to draw such a presumptuous conclusion that "history repeats itself". Putting aside the conclusions about the credibility of Homer's Iliad and Thucydides use of it for lack of alternative evidence, Thucydides other methods of ascertaining evidence were questionable in their credibility as well. In his quest for historical accuracy Thucydides conducted interviews with eyewitness of events and spent time with solders at war and used them to create his history of the Peloponnesian War. The problem here is again credibility, eyewitness accounts are questionable for many reasons. Sources on eyewitness credibility. (source: . http://writ.news.findlaw.com...) (source:. http://agora.stanford.edu...) Again we see that Thucydides has drawn such a presumptuous conclusion from a limited and questionable sources. Thus I assert that the phrase, "history repeats itself" was created for a purpose, designated previously, one I believe to be invalid due to the questionable and limited sources from witch the conclusions was drawn upon. I also assert that the phrase it self is invalid on the notion that when citing the past to answer problems of today little regard is shown for historical context, a key principal in contemporary historiographical practice of historical awareness. The quote by George Santayana, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. " is also invalid following the same line of reasoning. Even in a more contemporary setting comparisons often neglect the historical context from witch they are citing.