Remembering Everything: Learning the Lessons of History as an Imperative for an Effective Society

Research task. To outline the essence and content-subject content of the phenomenon called “learning history lessons”. To identify the difficulties that stand in the way of the prospects of timely and full learning of history lessons. To summarize the importance of correct learning of history lessons for the needs of the functioning of society on the principles of efficiency. Main material presentation. Historical memory as a product of symbolic, mythological, axiological and other influences can lead to diametrically opposed effects – on the one hand, to “forgetting” as a tendentious concealment, pushing unpleasant, frustrating aspects of the past to the distant periphery of memory; on the other hand, to pseudoamnesia (amnesia in reverse), when memory, due to suggestive influences, “remembers” in the smallest details what never actually happened. In order not to fall into the numerous traps of historical memory, a transparent public discourse on ambivalent aspects of the past is necessary, organized on the principles of deliberative democracy, systemic analysis and critical thinking. Conclusions. Correct, adequate to historical realities and comprehensive assimilation of the lessons of history becomes a kind of basis and procedural exercise on the way to achieving an effective functional status by every society. The level of categorisation can be raised even higher: assimilation of the lessons of history is an imperative requirement of an effective society - therefore, if society really aims to achieve an effective functional status, then it obviously cannot avoid the procedure of assimilation of the lessons of history in all its depth and impartiality.