Historical judgment should begin with the standards available to people in their own time. Context does not excuse every action because some figures still fell short of contemporary expectations. Putting people on pedestals, or demanding that a life be uniformly admirable or reprehensible, obscures their complexity. Evidence can support moral judgment without flattening a person into a hero or villain.
Notable Point · 2:57:12-2:58:03
Judging historical figures in context
Contemporary standards provide historical context without excusing every action or flattening people into heroes and villains.