Embracing Ambiguity

Preface

The Relevance of History to the Present

In April 1928, The Forum journal published an interview with American industrialist and business magnate Henry Ford who commented on the apparent increase in the complexity and rapidity of life. The 1920s, also known as the “Roaring Twenties,” witnessed a decade of economic growth and widespread prosperity resulting in an unprecedented period of social, artistic, and cultural dynamics propelling Americans into the era of modernity. But Ford was skeptical about whether there had been a commensurate increase in thought during the decade’s advancements. According to Ford “But there is a question in my mind whether, with all this speeding up of our everyday activities, there is any more real thinking. ...