LETTER TO THE EDITOR - History is important in modern society
As a former world history teacher at Wausau West and Newman High Schools, I am dismayed by the attacks on this academic discipline in contemporary United States. As Mark Twain said, “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it does rhyme.” History is a story of the past and cannot be repeated because change has occurred, but history does present us a narrative of the development of contemporary society. According to Twain, human behavior and the development of societies follow rhythmic patterns that are consistent over time. In that way, we can discern repeating patterns in the past that can help us interpret the present and predict, to some degree, the future.
As we live our lives, we go through experiences – educational, relational, spiritual, and circumstantial – that give us a unique perspective on life. We become a product of those experiences. Those experiences are our personal histories and are critical to self awareness. In essence, that is who we are. In older, traditional societies, as one grew older and accumulated experiences and insights, one became a wise elder to whom the younger generation could come for guidance. The elder understood the patterns of life in their culture that would benefit the younger members of society. When an elder died, relatives could gather around them to hear and revere their words of wisdom.
Contemporary national societies are not like that. Instead of elders looking back and understanding that the past was a solid foundation to pass unto the younger generation, the rate of change in our times seems to have made the lessons we have learned irrelevant. We have been detached from the developmental stages of our life, cut off from our social adolescence, and, as a result, are only members of a present. That doesn’t give us much guidance. We lose the perspective of the long grinding struggle that average people have had to gain a significant share in the economic fortunes, or to share political power in society. The history of how delicate those gains are has been lost in the propaganda of wealthy oligarchs wanting to regain their hegemony.
Historians attempt to connect the dots of history to create a narrative. The professional historian is checked on his /her facts and perspective. Their work is scrutinized by others in their field, and it is a major embarrassment if they are found to be in error, or trying to manipulate their material. That has not been the case with some contemporary news organizations and politicians. If one does not have an intelligible past, either personal or societal, on what basis does one make judgements on what is happening in the present? Yet, the profession of historian is being disparaged by modern politicians, propagandist historical writers, and some news media. They wish to tell their stories without the rigorous fact checking that goes with the profession of historian.
Nations are relatively new creations in world history. The U.S. is the prototype of this kind of political organization. Before nations evolved, countries were organized as kingdoms, where people were subjects of a royal family. They belonged to the royal family, and when their territory was given or lost to another kingdom, they became the property of another royal family. The rights they had were those given to their royal masters, not theirs by inalienable right. The major attribute of a subject was absolute loyalty to their monarch. The only recourse they had to poor rule was to overthrow their monarch. That is why monarchs demanded visible methods of obeisance by subjects who approached them, such as bowing, keeping one’s head low, and singing his/her praises. The monarch needed to know who was a loyal subject and not a regicide. Historical truth was what they said it was. No fact checking or criticism allowed.
Our stories, personal or societal, are powerful in creating our identities. National stories are the glue that gives us the feeling that we belong to a territorial society and that we should feel loyalty to that entity. Some people confuse love of country with the necessity of agreeing with the government. A feeling of national identity can produce citizens who believe they are superior to other peoples and nations. Professional historians, with their rigorous dedication to the truth, are needed to keep those stories grounded in our factual past, our true traditions, and identities. If we want to defend our nation’s historical integrity, it is essential that we restore the prominence of the humanities in our colleges and universities. Professional historians are necessary because they demand the most rigorous standards of presenting truthful perspectives on our past. Perspectives can differ and be debated, but the facts upon which they are based must be held to the most rigorous standards.
Rick Lohr Marathon
