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Leto · 06-11-2002, 09:21 AM

"Historians exercise great power and some of them know it. They recreate the past, changing it to fit their own interpretations. Thus, they change the future as well."
-Leto II, His Voice, from Dar-es-Balat

"Those who would repeat the past must control the teaching of history."
-Bene Gesserit Coda

"Ultimately, all things are known because you want to believe you know."
-Zensunni koan

When people say that history should focus as much, or more on the people, the personalities, and relationships that contributed to events...the 'human' side of things, as opposed to just the events and changes we've observed...they are forgetting that we don't KNOW the 'human side'. Unless we were there, party to the events...we haven't the slightest idea what those people were really like, what really motivated them, or what sort of relationships they had. We have at best second hand reports that are full of personal or popular opinion. We all know that popular opinion is rarely the 'truth'. There is little that we can approach as 'fact', apart from the dates of events, names of people, and the overall social and economic trends which accompanied them.

"We witness a passing phase of eternity. Important things happen but some people never notice. Accidents intervene. You are not present at episodes. You depend on reports. And people shutter their minds. What good are reports? History in a news account? Preselected at an editorial conference, digested and excreted by prejudice? Accounts you need seldom come from those who make history. Diaries, memoirs and autobiographies are subjective forms of special pleading. Archives are crammed with such suspect stuff."
-Darwi Odrade

Mythology is important for that reason. It is not 'history' exactly...'history' is past. Mythology is 'living history'...the history contained in our blood and our souls...it is the 'feelings' we have inherited from our pasts. This cannot be taught as fact...it is subjective, different for everyone. It is no less important, or perhaps even more important, than history...but don't get the two confused.

[ June 11, 2002: Message edited by: Leto ]

06-11-2002, 09:21 AM	#75
Leto Pile O'Bones Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Arrakis Posts: 16	"Historians exercise great power and some of them know it. They recreate the past, changing it to fit their own interpretations. Thus, they change the future as well." -Leto II, His Voice, from Dar-es-Balat "Those who would repeat the past must control the teaching of history." -Bene Gesserit Coda "Ultimately, all things are known because you want to believe you know." -Zensunni koan When people say that history should focus as much, or more on the people, the personalities, and relationships that contributed to events...the 'human' side of things, as opposed to just the events and changes we've observed...they are forgetting that we don't KNOW the 'human side'. Unless we were there, party to the events...we haven't the slightest idea what those people were really like, what really motivated them, or what sort of relationships they had. We have at best second hand reports that are full of personal or popular opinion. We all know that popular opinion is rarely the 'truth'. There is little that we can approach as 'fact', apart from the dates of events, names of people, and the overall social and economic trends which accompanied them. "We witness a passing phase of eternity. Important things happen but some people never notice. Accidents intervene. You are not present at episodes. You depend on reports. And people shutter their minds. What good are reports? History in a news account? Preselected at an editorial conference, digested and excreted by prejudice? Accounts you need seldom come from those who make history. Diaries, memoirs and autobiographies are subjective forms of special pleading. Archives are crammed with such suspect stuff." -Darwi Odrade Mythology is important for that reason. It is not 'history' exactly...'history' is past. Mythology is 'living history'...the history contained in our blood and our souls...it is the 'feelings' we have inherited from our pasts. This cannot be taught as fact...it is subjective, different for everyone. It is no less important, or perhaps even more important, than history...but don't get the two confused. [ June 11, 2002: Message edited by: Leto ]