Ethics in History

Explore how societies confront and preserve history — from destruction of heritage to contested monuments and how history itself is taught.

Watch & Reflect

Watch each video and consider the ethical questions it raises about how we value and remember the past.

ISIS & Cultural Heritage

This video shows militants destroying ancient statues and artifacts at the Mosul Museum — part of a wider campaign of heritage destruction. Critics argue that this erases millennia of shared human history and identity. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}

Statue Toppling in North America

Protesters have toppled or removed controversial monuments as part of debates about representation, memory, and justice in public spaces. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

Trevor Noah on History & Education

Trevor Noah discusses differences in how societies confront their histories and embed moral reflection in education. A key insight: “In Germany, no child finishes high school without learning not just the facts but the how and why of the Holocaust.” :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}

Activity: The Watcher Times

Apply your ethical reasoning in a historical simulation. Make choices, weigh pressures, and justify them.

Core dilemma: You may be offered a chance to prevent a future catalyst of mass harm very early. There is no “clean” choice — only tradeoffs, uncertainty, and consequences.

1) Read the turn

Newswire

Identify what pressures are rising (conflict, fragility, legitimacy, ideology, resources, technology).

2) Choose an action

Choice 1–5

Pick the numbered option that matches your values and your tolerance for risk.

3) Justify it

Reason

Briefly explain why you selected the given action.

Ethical frames you can could include (optional):

Consequentialist — minimise total harm.
Deontological — some actions are wrong regardless of outcomes.
Non-interventionist — you lack legitimacy to rewrite lives.
Tragic responsibility — no clean hands; choose the least-worst.

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