Question 1

What key point does Higginbotham make in asserting that one should not judge the past through a "presentist" lens?

Answer

Present-day observers can critique the past but should avoid imposing today’s morals, beliefs and values on historical contexts

Assessing past mindsets requires ignoring widespread immoral beliefs and practices accepted at the time

While today's standards differ, human rights truths have always existed, so past complicity in injustice is indefensible

Appreciating causal links between past injustices and present inequities can lead to fairer judgments of history