For the great French sociologist and philosopher Edgar Morin, History has never ceased to be an object of reflection, and indeed without excluding historical events in which he himself had an active participation. Having been born in 1921 in Paris and having experienced the war of 1939-40 and the resistance to the Germans firsthand, Morin remains to this day a curious and perceptive observer of upheavals in fields such as economics and ecology, and a student of developments in the field of culture.
In this book, he shares with us "lessons" of History, from everything he has seen and experienced, which illuminate the past and help us plan the future better.
From the perspective of an intellectual-observer and an active citizen, he points out, among other things, that the unexpected can happen, that the oppressors can also be great civilizers, that myths often decisively influence History, that sometimes an individual can change the course of things.
With a synthetic spirit and lively language, Morin invites us to follow him on a brief journey through the history of humanity, from antiquity to the present day.