October 30, 2006
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History and Progress - Socrates_Cafe's latest
1. What is the purpose and meaning of History?
2. Is Progress a delusion?
1. The purpose and meaning of history
This might sound like a simplistic question, easily answered: Obviously its meaning and purpose is to record what happened so that we can learn from our past mistakes.
The problem, of course, is what do we record? Everything? Not likely.
What we record of history depends very much on our value system and the use to which we will put the records. If our goal is instilling a sense of patriotism in the young, then our history schoolbooks will be inspiring records of the brave actions that have made us great. If we intend to show ourselves as the favored of God, our History is that of our religious trials and triumphs.
Various philosophers have based their understanding of the world on its history as they saw it.
Karl Marx, surely the most important philosopher of history of modern times, focused on the economic struggle between the haves and have-nots throughout history and attempted to show how the struggle could be resolved. Hindsight shows how limited his grasp of the world's history really was as well as the dangers of focusing on only one social institution as history's prime cause.
Among the Modern and Postmodern philosophers, history is very important as their assumptions about the world's present situation is at least in part based on the "Control of History" brought about by the prevalence of electronic media with its evanescence and the commercialization of knowledge.
On a more basic and personal level, what is your attitude toward history? Why do you have that attitude and what would it take to change it?2. Is Progress a delusion?
Hmmm, what do we mean by progress? - more gadgets doing things faster, with less effort; or a raised standard of living with fewer hungry and sick people in the world; or perhaps some kind of moral progress toward a safer, happier, more "perfect" world.
Throughout history, we have tended to believe that we were somehow "progressing".
During the Dark Ages of Europe, when people lived demonstrably poorer lives then had been possible during the height of Rome's power, Europeans consoled themselves by thinking of their Spiritual and moral progress. As the Enlightenment dawned, philosophers seized on their rational and logical progress in the Sciences and the benefits this brought to their world. They tended to ignore the plight of most Europeans, more and more of whom lived in filthy, unhealthy poverty as the Age of Enlightenment became the Industrial Age.
Today we might ask ourselves if we are really better off than our ancestors?
Are we happier? Healthier? Wiser? What kind of a World do we want and what are we doing to achieve it?
You'll notice how Progress and History are intertwined here. A love of knowledge really does mean a love of History.
Comments (11)
Hi Dick,
I have a history question for you. I do agree that history is colored by the values and beliefs of the recorder. Do you think that it is possible to have an accurate account of history? Is it important to have an accurate account?
I think that many people today see progress as having more money and more toys. I am not sure that that is accurate. I suspect that people were happier in simpler times. Do you think the quest for possessions makes people happy?
Historic accuracy seems to fluctuate. At the time of an historic event, the reports are almost always incomplete and distorted. As the event's importance becomes more evident, historians take a closer look, sifting all the evidence and generally come up with a more complete - and in their minds at least - more accurate accounting. Then, as the event recedes into history, the accounts become more and more generalized and historians' views change so that what is "historic" may be almost unrecognizable to those who were actually there - at least as evidenced by their recorded memories.
It is important to have an accurate account of any historic period - but remember, such an account is going to be sifted through the prejudices of the viewer who will likely pick out the facts he deems relevant and ignore the rest. I once wrote a paper on the impact of Greek education techniques on the Roman Republic. The professor required us to use original sources and he told me he didn't think i could find any. When I pointed out that this was a major concern of just about every roman writer of the period, he paused, thought about it, and commented that he had never really considered that part of their writings, but that I was right. This from an important classics professor who was teaching a seminar in his speciality - the transition of the Roman Republic to the Empire. Viewpoint is everything.
More gadgets doesn't necessarily mean progress, but what the gadgets do certainly may. Worldwide transportation and communication certainly means more people live more healthy lives and our standard of living has risen dramatically in my lifetime. I am healthier, more comfortable, and more knowledgeable than my ancestors as, I think, are most of the Earth's people. Are we happier? Probably not, "Progress" has brought many more problems and the falling death rate has led to overpopulation with all its tension and hassles. All that rapid worldwide communication has certainly given us more to worry about.
Having said that, I must say I would rather be alive now than at any other period of history.
Post-modern philosophers have claimed that history has ended - at least history as it has been defined. Are they right?
I have no idea whether history has ended. I think that that will be up to people who live after my lifetime to discover, won't it? Surely there are events occuring today that should be recorded for posterity.
My daughter-in-lw often says that her life is "spinning out of control" because of the pressures of modern life. I feel the same way much of the time. Although the lifespan has increased and general health has improved, do you think it is possible that the pace of life today will begin to show negative effects on lifespan and health?
Post-Modern philosophers seem to think that History in the past was "engraved on stone" while the records of events today are no more permanent than a wikipedia article. They think modern times have become too evanescent to record with any sense of objectivity and completeness.
Don't you think that people in the past felt that way, too. Don't you think that throughout time, people have felt that the period in which they lived was the most frantic and complicated period that ever was? Maybe they were all correct, too. Maybe life does get continually more complicated.
I agree with you in principle, but I do know that there have been long periods of human history where things stayed about the same for extended periods. Of course we always see our selves as being at the "End" of history - as far as we are concerned, we are
The post-modern philosophers (one of which I am not), see the present as a period of fundamental change in the method of remembering and recording the past and claim that "Globalization" and "Electronicfication" have made history obsolete.
These are the same people whose basic premise is that we really can't understand each other.
"The post-modern philosophers (one of which I am not),"
You say you're not a postmodernist. Frankly I see a lot of postmodernism here and on Socrates Cafe. So what is your philosophy?
I think postmodernism is laughable. But, it's the prevailing philosophy in our world today. Most people do not believe in transcendent Truth that applies to all tribes, people. All cultures are equal. None worse or better than the other. Everything is a cultural construct. There is no objective truth. All is subjective. The truth to you is not the truth to me - meaning: I want what I want and you have no right to tell me otherwise - i.e. The will to power!
Honestly i
"The post-modern philosophers (one of which I am not),"
You say you're not a postmodernist. Frankly I see a lot of postmodernism here and on Socrates Cafe. So what is your philosophy?
I think postmodernism is laughable. But, it's the prevailing philosophy in our world today. Most people do not believe in transcendent Truth that applies to all tribes, people. All cultures are equal. None worse or better than the other. Everything is a cultural construct. There is no objective truth. All is subjective. The truth to you is not the truth to me - meaning: I want what I want and you have no right to tell me otherwise - i.e. The will to power!
Honestly it
Sorry for the triple post. I accidentally clicked the wrong buttons ....TWICE! I was at the library and my time ran out at that moment. LOL
I'm a Unitarian Existentialist
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