Word: mukunda
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...Gautum Mukunda's flawed analysis of the historian's craft misinterprets both a student's moral burdens and what it means to be an American (Opinion, Sept. 28). In the first place, the study of history is not a quest for moralistic lessons that great people can later draw on as inspiration for their own feats. It is the quest for the truth of what happened in the past. Great people tend to draw their own lessons. Mukunda's jingoistic interpretation of the American ideal obscures this quest for truth and limits it to the American sphere of intellectual tradition...
...dates of the Civil War when she may have no interest at all in the subject matter? We face enough requirements as it is, and most students have a pretty good background in the history of America. Even if every student doesn't, however, the same philosophy that Mukunda uses to justify an American history requirement can be used to justify studies in philosophy, ethics, classics, economics, or any other discipline that "would be nice" for students to know. Ultimately, America is about letting people make their own choices, and here at Harvard we can most respect that ideal...
...Gautam Mukunda makes a good case for requiring American history at Harvard College (Opinion, Sept. 28). But as a historian, I have to point out that there are serious flaws in the argument. First is the presumption that Harvard is an "American" institution with an "American" student body. Though the majority of both students and faculty are American citizens, there are sizable minorities from other countries, with neither the responsibility to study nor the interest in U.S. history. Second is the presumption that Harvard is responsible for the citizenship of its students. The appropriate place to require national history...
...remember that the so-called winners of the marathon are, after all, simply representatives of all the groups running. The staggered marathon we are suggesting will allow us to celebrate our differences while maintaining a race that is genuinely fair to all types of runners. DAVID MESKILL, GSAS GAUTAM MUKUNDA...
...Brain- Gautam Mukunda...