When studying philosophy, how important is learning its history?

I don't believe the history of philosophy is important, just the views of some of the great philosophers which are timeless, Alan Watts, Jesus, Galileo,Socrates and even the common man. Yes, we are all philosophers in our own way..

It depends on why you are studying philosophy.

If you desire to understand where or why different philosophical schools of thought came about, then it is the most important thing.

If you love truth and wish to understand what people can know and why we perceive what we perceive and how to think about truth, then the history is not so important. If you read Descarte, Francis Schaeffer or Mortimer Adler and find that everything he says fits your observations about truth and reality and thought, then it does not matter what year he wrote or which other philosophers he studied. The history that brought him to his positions does not change their truth value or the meaning of what he wrote.

Sometimes you will have to study history to understand what was written. The ancient Greeks used words differently than we do, so you probably have to study ancient Greek language and culture and perhaps art to get the most out of the writings of their philosophers. You could certainly depend on translations and commentary rather than study the original yourself.

Very important. As the saying goes: To understand one's history is to understand oneself. By knowing and understanding how philosophies came about we understand them better.

What is its history exactly?
Do you trust the historians?
Do you know the philosophs?
What book do you trust without regard?
Oh, crap..those are all questions.
Oooh! That was a statement!

I cannot over state the importance of studying the history and evolution of knowledge. All our current knowledge came from the past, all words were invented by humans in the past. To understand language correctly, how it applies to physical reality, well it is critical to understand its evolution.

Physical reality has two aspects, evolution and ecology - everything around you is interconnected and changing. This is the foundation of philosophy, this is the source of truth.
Understand the evolution and ecology of knowledge and you will understand the evolution and ecology of physical reality.

Philosophy is great - the liberation of self from blind ignorance.

Good luck with it - and you do get to read many brilliant minds!
Geoff Haselhurst

http://www.spaceandmotion.com/metaphysics.htm
http://www.spaceandmotion.com/evolution-ecology-nature-culture-society.htm