The Historian as a Social Critic: Christopher Lasch and the Uses of History

At the top of the list of historians who practiced social criticism stands the best-selling author Christopher Lasch. Lasch observed that "historians tend to become social critics almost in spite of themselves, in the ordinary business of going about their work." By taking the past seriously as an object of study, historical research opens a conversation that can lead to self-examination. Lasch saw history as a "two-way" conversation that challenged the hubris of modern Americans who thought of their society as the best of all possible worlds. Re-evaluating Lasch's work can help individuals better understand the promises and challenges of connecting history and social criticism. This article presents an analysis of the life and works of Lasch. (Contains 34 notes.)