History for 100, Alex

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This is taken for a journal I have to keep from one of my classes this semester on the question of What is History?

The first question that deserves personal reflection is what may seem as relatively simple and yet it is crucial. “What is History?” It is hard for me to state what my answer to this question was when I first entered university. The first time that I can remember answering this question was during my HIST 301 class which posed the question. At that time I had taken mainly survey level classes and I responded that history is the future as we can only moved forward if we understand the past. There are a few assumptions I had with this theory, the main one being that I meant not only one’s personal history but as well as an appreciation of history on many different levels.

I would add to this theory later that history was the ability to think critically and to make logical arguments. It would take many different professors over a long period for me to understand this. That I must learn how to find my sources, determine what is primary and secondary and then to question the validity my sources (understanding the context of the source would come later). That after obtaining my sources I needed to learn how to construct an effective and logical argument so that I could express my own conclusions. When I was expressing this last view in class, I was asked how this differed from philosophy. At the time the only thing that came into my mind was an introduction logic class I had taken some years prior and proceed to try and explain the differences. On reflection I don’t think that there are very minor differences and that technique and connotations are the main ones. I also recognize that I am indebted in many ways to the professors that have taught me and that I am still very much a student trying to master these skills.

Upon further discussions in my current class (SSCI) I have added two additional terms to my theory, namely context and narrative. I had actually arrived at context before taking this class but it was tied to another term that I had learned in the spring preceding it, namely presentism. While studying aboard in Japan I had taken a class with a professor that was doing a history and political science course on the historical relationship between China and Japan from 19th century onwards. One of the major topics that was covered later during the semester was the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. I was afforded a unique opportunity to visit Hiroshima and tackled this topic with vigor and it eventually led to the question on how to judge the events. While it may not be a historians place to judge, we are in the end of all things human. Upon discussing this with my professor he introduced me to the term and made me realize a large flaw that I was using 2008 moral values and information to understand decisions that were made in 1945. I now included the term context to include the broad set of skills needed to understand and interpret history.

What I mean by narrative is defined quite well by Wineberg as that, “History in a nutshell holds the potential, only partly realized, of humanizing us in ways offered by few other area’s.” That as Carl Degler has also said, “expand our conception and understanding of what it means to be human.” History defines us but we sometimes let ourselves forget that beyond our texts there were real people that lived and struggled with issues that we still struggle with today. I’m not sure exactly how to implement this fully as of right now but recognizing the importance is a first step. Before I had regarded that past as data to be used to construct my arguments but the past goes beyond this simple and naïve interpretation. As I am still implementing this new information into theory on what history is, I have yet been able to come up with a simple coherent theory. I realize as well that every day and every year I will be further redefining this theory but I doubt these major points will change.

What is History?
History is the set of skills we gain to be able to think critically about the past to come to a better understanding of the people that we are today.

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