Department of History

History is the collective memory of society. It informs us of the intense human struggles that shaped our past and thereby enriches our understanding of the present. A society that forgets its past is like an individual suffering from amnesia; both lack identity, purpose, and direction. Yet the complexities of the past cannot be reduced to simple rules for the present. History reveals a diversity of human experience that is worth pondering for its own sake. A respect for this diversity has long been the mark of an educated individual and a civilized society.

Department Contact:
Shiwei Chen
Associate Professor of History
Chair of History Department
847-735-5150
chen@lakeforest.edu

 

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