Francis Lowenheim was a history professor at Rice University during my undergraduate years at the school, and the first and therefore key intellectual influence in my life (after my father). Dr. Lowenheim, now deceased, was a professor of 19th century and modern European history trained at Columbia University. I will describe some of what I learned from him and hopefully honor his memory; ideally this will read as lessons to be learned from history and not as some key to my intellectual framework.
Place yourself back in time. This lesson was drummed into students again and again by Dr. Lowenheim, in an effort to avoid the intellectually easy mistake of criticizing key events as armchair historians. To study the past an honest historian has to put himself into the mind of the decision maker with only the knowledge available at that time. While important this is still not enough; an honest historian also learns to understand the all too human prejudices and biases of earlier eras. It is only a modern fool who, with his belief in progress in all areas, dismisses earlier figures and their beliefs.
How does learning to place ourselves in historical situations affect our lives? The effect is profound, which is why I chose Dr. Lowenheim's lesson. In my own career as a consultant, for example, the ability to look at earlier decisions with this mental framework allows me to truly learn, especially about my own biases and outlooks. I look at the world through rose colored glasses which has the positive benefit of avoiding discouragement. On the other hand these glasses have blinded me to opportunities that were simply not viable. Knowing this allows me to compensate while making decisions. Looking at situations and circumstances with Dr. Lowenheim's framework also helps me better understand clients and the pressures they face. To say this has been a key to my success would be an understatement. The ability to do this is not some form of innate genius but rather an intellectual viewpoint I acquired from Dr. Lowenheim's lectures.
Hard work. Dr. Lowenheim was not a highly sought professor at Rice because of his demanding work loads. We typically read upwards of 600 pages per week, and I think the average weekly reading load over a semester was closer to 900 pages. We did this to accomplish the above stated goal of getting inside the heads of historical decision makers, which can only be done through primary sources.
Why has this lesson stuck with me more than twenty years after I attended my last class with Dr. Lowenheim? The obvious answer is the lesson that hard work pays off, which most of us know and which has certainly proven true in my consulting career. Deeper still, however, is learning that extensive primary research keeps us from believing the shallow half truths which frequently pass for the intellectual status quo. For in researching primary sources Dr. Lowenheim taught me that many popular theories were just wrong. This developed in me an innate skepticism of certain ideas and trends that continues to serve me well, primarily by avoiding the latest business and consulting fads.
On a personal note the classes with Dr. Lowenheim were far and away the best moments of my years at Rice. The intellectual stimulation developed in me a love for history which still breathes, however suppressed by the needs of the modern business world. In consequence my life is clearly richer, and hopefully I have repaid a small bit, a very small bit, of the debt I owe to this great man.