Judging History

In recent years, there has been a growing trend of judging historical events by today's standards. History absolutely cannot be judged by what we deem acceptable and appropriate by today's standards. What seems odd or unethical to us today was often acceptable and common practice at the time. The past would likely judge us very harshly as well, as today some of what we view as acceptable would seem outright depraved to our forbearers. It is also important to keep in mind that, as is true in our time, not everyone agreed on what was acceptable and appropriate behavior.

Throughout time, there has always been opposing sides to the issues we face, from slavery, to women' rights, immigration, politics, and ethics. It is a constant battle between right and wrong, good and bad, well-meaning and bad intentioned. It is a struggle that will never end and will always play a role in our world. Understanding the why and how is critical to understanding our part. We must look at our past free of judgement and open to understanding.

The term "presentism" refers to a bias of interpreting the past through today's attitudes, values, and knowledge. Some think that judging history by today's standards actually helps us better learn and understand. There is a wide belief that this is a flawed method as is misrepresents the historical context. When we fail to acknowledge and understand the standards of the time, we cannot grasp the reality of those times. Appliying today's standards to the past allows us to see only what we want to see, creating a version of history that supports our current worldview. This leads us down the dangerous path of rewriting history. We then create a past we want to believe is true, fooling ourselves into thinking we have learned anything.

Judging history by our own standards prevents us from learning its lessons and elevates us to a false sense of moral superiority. Who are we to judge? We cannot possibly fully understand what life was like in those times. Humanity is flawed and makes many mistakes. Looking at the past honestly and understanding how and why events occurred provides valuable insight into the successes and failures of our society over time. The past is sometimes painful, other times extraordinary, but always a lesson to be learned.