Theory of Knowledge History Knowledge Issues What is history but a fable agreed upon? Napoleon Bonaparte
No man ever yet tried to write down the entire truth of any action in which he was engaged T.E. Lawrence
The only thing we learn from history is that we learn nothing from history G.W.F. Hegel
The aim of the historian, like that of the artist, is to enlarge our picture of the world, to give us a new way of looking at things. - James Joll History - National Memory 1. Evidence
Eyewitness of Death of Empress MyeogSeong (Sean Song)The New Testament as Eyewitness Testimony: "If we, playing the role of a critical historian, wish to maintain a high level of confidence that Jesus existed, performed miracles, and rose from the dead, then all that we have to rely on are, at best, eyewitness testimonies of his life and works written by people who experienced him firsthand." (Isa Francisco)
Government Manipulation and Distortion of History:The**Tienanmen Square**incident is initially hidden to the world and is still censored and controlled in China. "If you want to test whether China is truly free or not, just walk into the middle of Tienanmen Square and say the words ‘Falun Gong"-Chinese Business man. Focus on the quotes they're pretty good. Refer to my blog for a summary. (Adam Yang)
Bias of recorder**View of the South in 1860**Document J “Those interests, having a common purpose of plunder… stands arrayed against the agricultural states.” Rueben Davis of Mississippi in 1860.
Selection of a selection of events - Author's interpretation
The bible, according to Christian belief, is the collection of primary accounts selected and compiled to create a secondary source that would form the beliefs of its followers. However, its claims have not been supported by modern science, as it is agreed that many of its claims are absurd and easily disproven today. These articles, though containing bias themselves, provide evidence to some of the bibles fundamental: Bible Flaws and Bible Absurdities. However, as every argument has another opinion, here are some of its benefits . Finally, this article states that Jesus was just an idea and portrayed multiple people in order to convey the proper message for the church, which greatly contradicts the beliefs of all Christians. (Filip Kobylecki)
Hindsight
+ Can allow historian to see relationships that might have been unknown at the moment Sino-Soviet Split + Can allow for the reduction of biases of the period When overreacting is the greater danger French defeat in Vietnam was viewed in 1954 as a domino of the Cold War and not as part of a long running Vietnamese fight for independence. + Allows historian to view consequences of the actions/events + Create appropriate context for past & recent events US in Afghanistan - Creates a sense of inevitability around events & consequences - History can be influenced by new biases / paradigm Turkey & Genocide
Bias
Topic bias - what exactly the historian is investigating and the questions he asks. **English Revolution**(Alex Chiu) Confirmation bias - only including those events support his interpretation - Fahrenheit 9-11 National bias - big problem with school history books. Introduction to Lies My Teacher Told Me Russian Nationalism Japan & Okinawa Introduction/Conclusion to "Hiroshima - Why the Bomb was dropped." **Durham Market Place**(Alex Chiu) **Protestants**(Alex Chiu) Japanese History Textbook - "The text lauds the economic development of Korea and Manchuria under Japanese rule...What it fails to mention, however, is that for Korea, Formosa (Taiwan) and Manchuria, Japanese rule meant decades of brutal suppression." - Japanese history textbooks tend to emphasize positive achievements while downplaying the atrocities. (Calvin Kim)
He is always viewed in the Americans' eyes as the ultimate hero; however, the real truth may be hidden from the Americans... Was he really the "American hero" who never lied? (American view of George Washington HERE.)
History Knowledge Issues
What is history but a fable agreed upon?
Napoleon Bonaparte
No man ever yet tried to write down the entire truth of any action in which he was engaged
T.E. Lawrence
The only thing we learn from history is that we learn nothing from history
G.W.F. Hegel
The aim of the historian, like that of the artist, is to enlarge our picture of the world, to give us a new way of looking at things. - James Joll
History - National Memory
1. Evidence
- Sometimes too much - 9-11
- Sometimes too little - 1491
2. Significance - how does the historian determine which events to focus on / include and which to ignore?- Number of people involved?
- The extent to which people are affected?
- Majority of Historians?
- Governments? (the government of Turkey denying the Armenian Genocide here ,here and here) Amir
3. Explanation / Interpretation of Events- Meaning / Context - Obama at the Precipice
Japanese Debate history of 'Comfort Women'. Junior highschool history textbooks <- language (ex, 'invasion' to 'advancement')Mary Bae- Why did events occur?
Potential reasons to study history.- History gives a sense of identity
- Defense against propaganda
- Enriches our Understanding of Human Nature - America needs history as never before
Primary Sources- Fallibility of eyewitnesses Were police wrong to raid a JHB home overnight?Eyewitness vs. DNA (Susan Wang)
Eyewitness of Death of Empress MyeogSeong (Sean Song) The New Testament as Eyewitness Testimony: "If we, playing the role of a critical historian, wish to maintain a high level of confidence that Jesus existed, performed miracles, and rose from the dead, then all that we have to rely on are, at best, eyewitness testimonies of his life and works written by people who experienced him firsthand." (Isa Francisco)- Bias of recorder bias in history - recordings Why are all that being written on Egypt are about Pyramids?(Susan Wang)
- Deliberate manipulation / creation of false records Trotsky, Fall of Berlin, Malaysia, Microsoft, and Others.
- (Wassa Suttiwiriya):Government Manipulation and Distortion of HistoryPhoto Tampering Throughout History
- Government Manipulation and Distortion of History: The **Tienanmen Square** incident is initially hidden to the world and is still censored and controlled in China. "If you want to test whether China is truly free or not, just walk into the middle of Tienanmen Square and say the words ‘Falun Gong"-Chinese Business man. Focus on the quotes they're pretty good. Refer to my blog for a summary. (Adam Yang)
- The Cuban Missile Crisis: Actual results were that Kruschev had to remove missiles in Cuba in exchange for Kennedy removing missiles in Turkey. However, this incident at the time was seen as a major US victory as Kennedy and the US government kept the removal of missiles from Turkey secret. The incident was a major propaganda victory for the US at a time where Soviet/US rivalry was at its peak. (http://books.google.com/books?id=ndpYYUsv2u4C&pg=PA103&lpg=PA103&dq=kennedy+kept+turkey+secret&source=bl&ots=GZap8Txvjj&sig=37KGsFChi9VJa0KBZPxInPfxd6E&hl=en&ei=eBbKStD1N4qMkAXFg_3bBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1#v=onepage&q=kennedy%20kept%20turkey%20secret&f=false
- Jake Lucidi
- Bias of recorder **View of the South in 1860** Document J “Those interests, having a common purpose of plunder… stands arrayed against the agricultural states.” Rueben Davis of Mississippi in 1860.
- View of the South during the Civil War period “Northerner was sturdy, equal, free men; Southerners were “poor, shiftless, lazy, uninstructed, cowed non-slaveholders.”
- **View of the North during the Civil War period** Page 19. “The masses of the North are venal, corrupt, covetous, mean, and selfish.” (Chun il Park)
Secondary Sources:- Selection of a selection of events - Author's interpretation
The bible, according to Christian belief, is the collection of primary accounts selected and compiled to create a secondary source that would form the beliefs of its followers. However, its claims have not been supported by modern science, as it is agreed that many of its claims are absurd and easily disproven today. These articles, though containing bias themselves, provide evidence to some of the bibles fundamental: Bible Flaws and Bible Absurdities. However, as every argument has another opinion, here are some of its benefits . Finally, this article states that Jesus was just an idea and portrayed multiple people in order to convey the proper message for the church, which greatly contradicts the beliefs of all Christians. (Filip Kobylecki)- Hindsight
+ Can allow historian to see relationships that might have been unknown at the momentSino-Soviet Split
+ Can allow for the reduction of biases of the period
When overreacting is the greater danger
French defeat in Vietnam was viewed in 1954 as a domino of the Cold War and not
as part of a long running Vietnamese fight for independence.
+ Allows historian to view consequences of the actions/events
+ Create appropriate context for past & recent events US in Afghanistan
- Creates a sense of inevitability around events & consequences
- History can be influenced by new biases / paradigm Turkey & Genocide
- Bias
Topic bias - what exactly the historian is investigating and the questions he asks.**English Revolution** (Alex Chiu)
Confirmation bias - only including those events support his interpretation -
Fahrenheit 9-11
National bias - big problem with school history books. Introduction to Lies My
Teacher Told Me
Russian Nationalism
Japan & Okinawa
Introduction/Conclusion to
"Hiroshima - Why the Bomb
was dropped."
**Durham Market Place** (Alex Chiu)
**Protestants** (Alex Chiu)
Japanese History Textbook - "The text lauds the economic development of Korea and Manchuria under Japanese rule...What it fails to mention, however, is that for Korea, Formosa (Taiwan) and Manchuria, Japanese rule meant decades of brutal suppression." - Japanese history textbooks tend to emphasize positive achievements while downplaying the atrocities. (Calvin Kim)
Glorification of George Washington? (Makiko Fujimoto)
Are U.S. History Textbooks Still Full of Lies and Half-Truths?(Jenny Sun)
Do we need to examine history from a variety of perspectives in order to arrive at historical truth?
Wassa Suttiwiriya: The KLA - terrorists or freedom fighters?
Ivy Weng - 2 accounts of the Boston Massacre -Captain Thomas Preston's Account vs. Citizen
Do we have an ethical responsibility to search for historical truths?
History Theories to Consider