"Except among those whose education has been in the minimalist style, it is understood that hasty moral judgments about the past are a form of injustice"

This quote by Jacques Barzun is a tip that we should not be too quick to evaluate the past. It is very important to bear in mind that the past is a complex and nuanced thing, and that it is not constantly simple to understand the inspirations and circumstances of those who lived in it. Barzun is suggesting that those who have not had an extensive education might be most likely to make hasty moral judgments about the past, and that this is a form of oppression. He is motivating us to make the effort to understand the past in its entirety before making any judgments. This quote works as a suggestion that we need to not be too quick to evaluate the past, which we ought to aim to understand it in its entirety before making any ethical judgments.