Historicists are guilty of intellectual hubris from "summary" of The Poverty of Historicism by Karl Popper
The belief that historical prediction is possible is one that has been widely held among historicists. They have claimed to be able to predict the future course of history based on their understanding of historical processes. However, this belief is founded on a dangerous assumption: that history follows predetermined laws that can be discovered and used to make accurate predictions. This assumption is not only unfounded but also dangerous, as it leads historicists to overestimate their own ability to understand and control historical processes. Historicists are guilty of intellectual hubris because they believe that they possess knowledge that is beyond their reach. They believe that they can understand history in its entirety and use this knowledge to predict the future course of events. This hubris is dangerous because it blinds historicists to the inherent complexity and unpredictability of historical processes. History is not a closed system governed by immutable laws; it is a dynamic and ever-cha...
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