Samuel E. Morison Quotes & Sayings (Page 2)

“In any case, his judgment and set of values, acting alone or through his assistants, determine not only what is gold and what is dross but the design of the history which he creates out of the metal. The historian decides what is significant, and what is not.”

“Courses on historical methodology are not worth the time that they take up. I shall never give one myself, and I have observed that many of my colleagues who do give such courses refrain from exemplifying their methods by writing anything.”

“Any child knows that history can only be a reduced representation of reality, but it must be a true one, not distorted by queer lenses.”

“Every historian with professional standards speaks or writes what he believes to be true.”

“Everyone agrees to that; but when we come to define truth, dissension starts.”

“I have nothing revolutionary or even novel to offer.”