Historians are like deaf people who go on answering questions that no one has asked them

Historians are like deaf people who go on answering questions that no one has asked them

Leo Tolstoy, the renowned Russian writer and philosopher, once famously remarked that historians are like deaf people who go on answering questions that no one has asked them. This statement reflects Tolstoy's skepticism towards the traditional approach of historical inquiry and his belief that historians often fail to address the most pressing issues of their time.

Tolstoy's own works, particularly his epic novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina, are often seen as historical in nature, as they provide a vivid portrayal of Russian society during the 19th century. However, Tolstoy's approach to history was fundamentally different from that of traditional historians. He was less concerned with the grand narratives of kings and battles, and more interested in the everyday lives of ordinary people. Tolstoy believed that true history could only be understood through the experiences and emotions of individuals, rather than through abstract theories and generalizations.