Is it? It would be super cool if we did know, but is it bad if we don't? I am genuinely asking what we lose by not knowing.
I was talking to my mom yesterday about my immigrant grandparents and great-grandparents. I realized a lot of the details are irrecoverable. But I struggled to find a reason why that mattered.
There is a saying:
"Those who do not know about the history, are condemend to repeat it"
(apparently from George Santayana)
But I think, if you don't care, then go on not caring.
I care, because I do not see society currently in a sane state and rather on a dark path. And by learning from history I hope to figure out things, to do my part, to help not repeat the old misstakes that lead into WW2 and alike for example. And it is not just about war or climate change, but rather direct human interaction. How is it today? How was it yesterday? How was it 4000 years ago. What was better and why? What was worse and why? Technology is only one part that makes up human society.
The saying makes the assumption that people don't want to repeat history, which may have been true a few decades ago. A great many people today actively want to repeat history, mistakes and all. They think then was better than now.
"actively want to repeat history, mistakes and all. They think then was better than now"
Well, you said it, they think it was better, so they don't want to repeat misstakes, but have a different perception of that time. Or they just refuse to acknowledge anything that does not fit their ancient Utopia. No matter how bloody it was.
Personally I am strongly drawn to neolithic times. But I know that so little is known, that all the good I think I see, might be projection into a void. And the actual history something very different (human sacrifices, slavery, ..)
But yeah, when people nowdays talk about reviving fascism in a new light, I think they activly supress reality as we do have good information about this recent time and what it means going that way.
> I am genuinely asking what we lose by not knowing.
How would we know what we're losing if we don't know? But even beyond practical uses for anthropological information about our past, we as creatures just seem to inherently value exploration and desire for knowledge. That seems reason enough for people to feel "sad" about not knowing something.
