Theory of Knowledge - Course Companion for Students Marija Uzunova Dang Arvin Singh Uzunov Dang
To what xtnt do historians hav to1.that history is nutral?nsur2. How ould nutrality ahivd?How would you wigh th as for3.against th as for an “thial”nutralityin The Baer Adolf Reed describes the 2016WritingBirth of a Nation as an example in this movementlmprioritizes uplifting narratives, to correct for thethatof the past, over historical accuracy. ReedwrongsKenneth Warren as speculating that for Natequotesthe director of the lm: “the point of historyParker,not so much to gure out what really happenedisrather to enable reparative and redemptivebut… history, for him, must remainmythmakingconduit for inspiration or therapy, fornarrow—alegacies, or for purveying information orbequeathingto the present—and not much more.”misinformationGallois said that "historis ofWilliamhav oftn onivd of thmslvsdisailitying narrativs of mpowrmnt andasof omating injusti. For manymodsand support groups, th history ofativistsuh as prosthsis, war wounds orfildsis not solly aout and for ththalidomid,ut an ngagmnt in politial andpast,attls in our prsnt” (Gallois quotdthialDunn, Fair2012).inth quots on this pag aoutConsidrfilm Birth of a Nation and th historisthdisaility, thn, disuss th followingofqustions.Is th primary rol of history to tru to1.past or to inform th prsnt? Is thrthCan srving th prsnt at odds with2.tru to th past?staying(a) To what xtnt would you agr that3.should srv th nds of thhistoryWho gts to did what ths(b)ndsar?to th position that history should strivCntral somthing, is th assumption that historytoknow what it is; or, as E.H. Carr mightansaid, that th historians an ris aovhavAn thial history prsupposs a slfawarthmslvs.history. But onsidr th as prsntdof Vitorian historians who thought thylow,xmplifying th st pratis of nutralitywrwr, it turnd out, unknowingly smugglingutthir moral valus. How an w know if windoing any ttr? This qustion omsarrlvant in th idologially andspiallyhargd nvironmnt of th urrntpolitiallyas Galloisxplains.ra,IV. EthicsIV. EthicsFor discussionFor reflectionHistory as activismNeutralityConsidr th issu of nutrality in history.and/or rstitutiv history?Making connectionsHistorical art to uplifta diffrn?prsnt?(Warren quoted in Reed 2016)IV.2 Can history know itself?275
IV. Ethicsis filld with xtraordinary figurs whoHistoryonsidrd grat y th standards of thirwrut whos gratnss has not agd wll.tim,y th fforts of thial historians, inPromptdlast fw dads thr hav n a numrthrvisd judgmnts that ast on-gratoffigurs into a ngativ light. That listhistorialasualtis, or rprhnsil popl, dpndingofyour politis, inluds Winston Churhill,onRhods and many othrs on a long list ofCilwhit mn. By ontmporary standardsmostlyfigurs would judgd untnaly raistthssxist—that is rarly opn to qustion—orth dat raiss som vry importantutqustions. What ar th impliationsknowldgjudging popl in th past y th prsnt?ofdo w diffrntiat twn individual andHowrsponsiility?olltiv9IV.3 Judging the past by the standardsEmpirical historians had long seen a central awin their nineteenth-century forebears’ method asof the presentbeing their desire to promote certain moral andideological causes in the course of the productionof history. The classic example of this entanglementcame in Whig histories of nineteenth-century Britainin which valorisations of parliamentary democracyand modern progress were also understood to becoded references to the moral superiority of themodern West and the place of Britain at the apex ofthis benecent civilisation. It was, however, only theretrospective judgement of subsequent generationsof historians which saw the Whigs cast in this light,for the Victorians themselves had viewed theirpractices as exemplifying the traditions of neutralitywhich emerged with the empirical method. If theWhigs were thus blinded as to the moral values theysmuggled into their histories, were later historiansany more self-aware, especially given the chargedpolitical environments of the twentieth century andthe adoption of Marxist, conservative, feminist andother ideological positions and methods?(Gallois quoted in Dunn, Faire 2012)Figure 9.7Following pressure by the “Rhodes Must Fall” movement, the Cecil Rhodes statue is removed at the University of Cape Town,South Africa, in 2015276
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To what xtnt do historians hav to
1.
that history is nutral?
nsur
2. How ould nutrality ahivd?
How would you wigh th as for
3.
against th as for an “thial”
nutrality
in The Baer Adolf Reed describes the 2016
Writing
Birth of a Nation as an example in this movement
lm
prioritizes uplifting narratives, to correct for the
that
of the past, over historical accuracy. Reed
wrongs
Kenneth Warren as speculating that for Nate
quotes
the director of the lm: “the point of history
Parker,
not so much to gure out what really happened
is
rather to enable reparative and redemptive
but
… history, for him, must remain
mythmaking
conduit for inspiration or therapy, for
narrow—a
legacies, or for purveying information or
bequeathing
to the present—and not much more.”
misinformation
Gallois said that "historis of
William
hav oftn onivd of thmslvs
disaility
ing narrativs of mpowrmnt and
as
of omating injusti. For many
mods
and support groups, th history of
ativist
suh as prosthsis, war wounds or
filds
is not solly aout and for th
thalidomid,
ut an ngagmnt in politial and
past,
attls in our prsnt” (Gallois quotd
thial
Dunn, Fair2012).
in
th quots on this pag aout
Considr
film Birth of a Nation and th historis
th
disaility, thn, disuss th following
of
qustions.
Is th primary rol of history to tru to
1.
past or to inform th prsnt? Is thr
th
Can srving th prsnt at odds with
2.
tru to th past?
staying
(a) To what xtnt would you agr that
3.
should srv th nds of th
history
Who gts to did what ths
(b)
ndsar?
to th position that history should striv
Cntral
somthing, is th assumption that history
to
know what it is; or, as E.H. Carr might
an
said, that th historians an ris aov
hav
An thial history prsupposs a slfawar
thmslvs.
history. But onsidr th as prsntd
of Vitorian historians who thought thy
low,
xmplifying th st pratis of nutrality
wr
wr, it turnd out, unknowingly smuggling
ut
thir moral valus. How an w know if w
in
doing any ttr? This qustion oms
ar
rlvant in th idologially and
spially
hargd nvironmnt of th urrnt
politially
as Galloisxplains.
ra,
IV. Ethics
IV. Ethics
For discussion
For reflection
History as activism
Neutrality
Considr th issu of nutrality in history.
and/or rstitutiv history?
Making connections
Historical art to uplift
a diffrn?
prsnt?
(Warren quoted in Reed 2016)
IV.2 Can history know itself?
275