Justifications and Definitions

Justifications and Definitions

Chapter – 1

Harshit Sharma

Political Science (BHU)

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The Past, History, Sources and Myths

The past significantly influences all aspects of present and future life, as evident in buildings, cities, and societies shaped by past generations.
Examples of global conflicts highlight the role of historical events, population movements, and past oppression as fundamental sources of tension.
Systems of government, political ideas, beliefs, educational practices, and customs are all products of the past, contributing to the present landscape.
Defining “the past” involves events, societies, ideas, institutions, behaviors, and human activities, both large and small.
The past, by definition, does not exist now; it is gone, related to the concepts of time and human mortality.
Relics, traces, and memories are tangible remnants of the past, found in buildings, streets, sources, and traditions passed down through generations.
Human societies exhibit a preoccupation with their own past through various practices like ancestor worship, national parades, and historical records.
While much preserved and celebrated information may contain myth or fable, it becomes part of the larger cluster of events and ideas that constitute “the past.”
The past, though gone, leaves behind tangible and intangible remnants that shape our understanding of historical events and human societies.
The speaker intentionally avoids using the terms ‘history,’ ‘historian,’ or ‘historical’ initially to emphasize the meaningful and viable nature of “the past.”
“History” is presented as the attempt to give present existence to the past, reflecting societies’ need to produce accounts or interpretations of their past.
The discipline of history arose as a response to the impossibility of directly apprehending the past, relying on specialized skills to analyze and interpret sources.
The Greek root of ‘history’ means ‘enquiry,’ encompassing both the processes of inquiry and the resulting reports or interpretations.
History involves filtering out myth and fable to present a more accurate understanding of the past, contributing to a body of knowledge about historical events.
The purpose of historical knowledge is to make the past known and comprehensible, extending the meaning of ‘history’ to include those parts of the past described and explained by historians.

The opening statement by Edward Royle emphasizes that people, not the environment, make history, but the conditions are influenced by the physical environment.
The second statement underscores the idea that ideas hold more power in history than economics, suggesting a focus on the impact of intellectual concepts.
The third statement asserts that everything, including underwear and alcoholic drinks, has a history, highlighting the broad scope of historical investigation.
The fourth statement discusses the distinction between the past and history, emphasizing the exploration of historical legacies and the challenges of facing them.
The author argues that “history” can encompass:
- What actually happened in the past (the human past).
- The activity of inquiry into the past, involving rigorous source analysis.
- Interpretations produced by historical inquiry.
- The accumulated body of knowledge about the past, often provisional and sometimes contradictory.
- Significant aspects of the past that have been made accessible by historical inquiry and accumulated knowledge.
The five meanings of “history” presented in the text aim to capture the complexity of the term as used in contemporary discourse.
The author rejects the notion that the past is not meaningful independent of historians’ activities and asserts that relics and traces left by the past demonstrate its real existence.
The discussion acknowledges the complexities surrounding the nature of history, considering various philosophical perspectives and the challenges of interpreting the past.
Some historians propose a sixth definition of history, envisioning it as a process with overarching meaning, purpose, or pattern that extends across past, present, and future.
The author expresses skepticism about this comprehensive conception of history, suggesting it reflects a nineteenth-century mindset and may be challenging to establish in the sophisticated methodologies of the late twentieth century.

In medicine, psychology, and social work, “case history” refers to a present record of a patient or client’s past experiences.
“Historical” is often used to mean pertaining to a present record of the past, but it can also refer to things related to the past.
The term “historical” is used in phrases like “historical factors,” “historical forces,” and “historical context” in academic writing, causing potential confusion.
“Historical context” often refers to the social, political, economic, and cultural circumstances prevailing in a particular society being studied.
Sentences involving the word “history” or “historical” can be interpreted in various ways based on the context, indicating different meanings of the term.
Examples include phrases like “War is the locomotive of history,” “Ideology plays a crucial role in history,” and “The Gulf War has its roots in history.”
The interpretation of these sentences depends on whether “history” is viewed as what actually happened, a body of knowledge, or a process unfolding across time.
The author suggests a central definition of history: the past as known through the interpretations of historians, based on critical study of relevant sources, with an effort to challenge and avoid perpetuating myths.
Sources, representing traces left by the past, are crucial for historical study, while myths, distorted or exaggerated elements of the past, need to be challenged and deflated through serious historical analysis.

The Necessity for History

History is not a luxury but a necessity for individuals, communities, and societies.
Memory is to the individual as history is to the community or society, providing a sense of identity.
A society without history would be adrift and struggle to establish identity, orientation, and relationships with the past and other societies.
As societies develop, efforts to preserve and perpetuate accounts of the past become more systematic, evolving from songs and sagas to more rigorous historical records.
Museums, archives, and libraries are established by advanced nations to preserve sources and relics from the past.
History plays a crucial role in establishing national identity and is seen as important to the entire nation, not just scholars or the ruling elite.
History is considered a necessity for democratic societies, diffusing awareness widely and fostering a closer understanding of how history is written.
The functional case for history is based on the importance and pervasiveness of the past in shaping the present.
To understand contemporary problems and participate in debates, a knowledge of history is essential.
The ‘instinctive’ or ‘poetic’ aspect of the case is evident in the curiosity about physical manifestations of the past and the appeal of historical sites to ordinary people.
History serves as a meeting ground for different disciplines, linking literature with social science and providing a central synthesizing role.
The study of history is vital in the age of information and communication systems to filter and assess the constant flow of messages.
Other justifications for historical study include understanding different customs, thought processes, and standards, gaining freedom in controlling the present, and training the mind for critical judgment.
History does not enable predictions of the future but is crucial for understanding present problems and providing essential knowledge.
The study of history is challenged by the fact that many societies teach a form of history designed to meet national needs, serving the interests of the ruling regime and often mixed with myth.
Marc Ferro’s studies reveal how history is manipulated in various countries to serve specific agendas, emphasizing the importance of accurate historical knowledge.
Accurate, professional history is a necessity to expose biased versions of history and resolve conflicts between different countries.
Nations are denied their true identities when biased versions of history are taught.

Stories and Dialogues

History and story share the same word in many European languages, highlighting a connection between the two concepts.
Some scholars view history as a literary activity, emphasizing its value in providing insights into the preoccupations of the age in which it was written.
History, seen as an elegant read, offers subjective thoughts on the past, reflecting the author’s biases and style.
The emphasis on whether history contributes to objective knowledge or serves as a well-told story is a point of contention among scholars.
The conventional wisdom suggests that all human experiences are socially constructed, influencing the objectivity of sciences, history, and literary scholarship.
While historical knowledge is influenced by the ideological environment, it does not imply that history must be dominated by it.
Historians, like scientists, are aware of their social context and strive to be on guard against biases in their work.
E. H. Carr describes history as an unending dialogue between past and present, emphasizing the historian’s position in the present.
Each age writes its own history, and interpretations of the past change as societal beliefs and paradigms shift.
Historians’ focus evolves over time, influenced by societal changes, shifting from political history to economic and social history, and expanding to include diverse perspectives.
The availability of archives, advances in technique, and societal beliefs shape the content and methods of history writing.
Awareness of limitations imposed by the social context is crucial, and historians strive to counteract distortions caused by these limitations.
The cumulative development of history occurs as historians build on the knowledge of their predecessors and strive for greater truthfulness.
History is presented as a participatory activity and should be a dialogue between historians and readers.
Readers are encouraged to critically engage with historical interpretations, recognizing that historians offer subjective interpretations open to challenge.
The critical apparatus of bibliography and references serves as an aid to readers in playing their part in the dialogue.
History as a social activity is ancient, but as a scholarly discipline, it is relatively young.
Differences in historical approaches are recognized, and no single approach is deemed exclusive or superior.
The diversity of historical approaches is acknowledged, with the recognition that different problems may require different methods.
Historiographers explore paradigms and paradigm shifts in historical writing, but there is no consensus on the time scales or number of paradigms.
The development of historical writing is explored in the next chapters, emphasizing continuity of purpose and a unifying exploration of the past.