(ISBN: 9780701207267) from Amazon's Book Store. These words of Goethe, like a sincere ceterum censeomay well stand at the head of my thoughts on the worth and the worthlessness of history. Historical knowledge, this noted Dutch historian declares, should be a result of free investigation and criticism.  Since it deals with facts, not imagination, it cannot be cast into a predetermined mold to fit a unified pattern of arbitrary principles.  “The most we can hope for,” he states, “is a partial rendering, an approximation, of the real truth about the past.”  In this succinct analysis of the philosophy and method of history, Professor Geyl examines the prevailing concepts of history and the new “awareness of distance” from the past that was lacking in earlier historians.  History, he points out, provides an elucidation of the present and its problems by showing them in perspective.  This important study of the historical point of view is based on the author’s Terry Lectures at Yale.Â, James S. Fishkin; Expanded to include a new Afterword, Personalistic Rule and Democratic Transition in the Philippines, The Struggle for the Holy CityThird Edition, 3, Party Control, Lawmaking, and Investigations, 1946-2002, Second Edition, Basic Considerations for a Psychology of Personality. Use and Abuse of History has become a key text of current historiography; this is a book that poses fundamental and disturbing questions about the use and abuse of history. The essay concludes with him expressing a hope in “youth”, by which he seems to mean those who have not yet been deformed by too much education. For Wagner, the creative genius who was also a man of action, fully engaged in the world, and working hard to regenerate German culture through his operas, exemplified how one could use the past (Greek tragedy, Nordic legends, Romantic classical music) in a healthy way to create something new. \” These are Goethe’s words. When contemporary poets acquire a deep understanding of the poetic tradition to which they belong, this enriches their own work. In-depth conversations with experts on topics that matter. Too much immersion in the past easily leads to an undiscriminating fascination with and reverence for anything that is old, regardless of whether it is genuinely admirable or interesting. In History Out of Joint, Sande Cohen considers the ways in which historical narratives summon up a past and lay down a future in the ever-multiplying intellectual debates of contemporary public culture. They experience “the contentment of a tree with its roots.”. "Moreover I hate everything that merely instructs me without increasing or directly quickening my activity." The work itself, of course, is incredible. The use and abuse of history Item Preview remove-circle Share or Embed This Item. Related Searches. We tend to look back on previous periods as inferior to us in various ways, especially, perhaps, in the area of morality. We come to feel a deeper interest, not only in our own people, but in all mankind. The best historians work like artists to bring a previous age to life. Very often, instead of trying to be creative and original, educated people simply immerse themselves in relatively dry scholarly activity. Customer Reviews. Such individuals can inspire us to reach for greatness ourselves. Please ensure you're using that browser before attempting to purchase. But in drawing the contrast between those who merely know about culture and those who are creatively engaged with culture, he almost certainly had Wagner in mind as an exemplar of the latter type. It can be valuable when it helps to enhance our sense of cultural identity. Another danger lies in the way some people treat the great achievements of the past (e.g. Each can be used in a good way, but each has its dangers. In particular, we will fail to see how those very elements in past cultures that we despise were necessary; that they were among the elements that gave birth to us. ( 全部 23 条) 热门 / 最新 / 好友 / 只看本版本的评论 S/Z 2014-04-08 15:10:29 商务印书馆1998版 But he also has in mind scholarship in general, including a commitment to strict principles of scholarly or scientific methods, and also a general historical self-awareness which continually places one’s own time and culture in relation to others that have come before. In this succinct analysis of the philosophy and method of history, Professor Geyl examines the prevailing concepts of history and the new “awareness of distance” … He identifies 3 approaches to history: the monumental, the antiquarian, and the critical. A bias is always present no matter who the scribe is because the scribe themselves is on a side, or he/she has certain views that alter how they record or … Top 10 Beatles Songs With Philosophical Themes, Moral Philosophy According to Immanuel Kant, Ph.D., Philosophy, The University of Texas at Austin, B.A., Philosophy, University of Sheffield. Modern historians pride themselves on their objectivity. This title has now been … It creates too much of a contrast between what’s going on people’s minds and the way they live. problems of atomic dynamics. The concept that history “inevitably takes sides” (Use and Abuse of History 51) is a main point in how Zinn argues that history is partial. dover publications book. Halfway through the essay, Nietzsche identifies five specific disadvantages of having too much historical knowledge. No_Favorite. Critical history is almost the opposite of antiquarian history. EMBED. Antiquarian history easily degenerates into mere scholarliness, where the purpose of doing history has long been forgotten. The rest of the essay is mainly an elaboration on these points. The term “life” is not clearly defined anywhere in the essay. What he seems to have in mind most of the time, when he speaks of “life,” is something like a deep, rich, creative engagement with the world one is living in. The two key terms in the title, “history” and “life” are used in a very broad way. Subscribe to hear when New Releases or Catalogs are ready. Use and Abuse of History is the second essay in that volume. Extreme specialization, another feature of modern scholarship, leads them away from wisdom, which requires a broader view of things. The five drawbacks are: In explaining points 4 and 5, Nietzsche embarks on a sustained critique of Hegelianism. It disrupts the instincts and hinders mature development. Nietzsche, Use & Abuse of History 7 historical culture is ruled and led by a higher force and does not itself govern and lead does it bring with it a powerful new stream of life, a developing culture for example, something healthy with future promise. Use and Abuse of History has become a key text of current historiography; this is a book that poses fundamental and disturbing questions about the use and abuse of history. ", The Problems Caused by Too Much Historical Knowledge. E.g. What Does Nietzsche Mean When He Says That God Is Dead? The Use and Abuse of History THE LONGEST, MOST COMPLEX AND MOST AMBITIOUS POEM OF O(UR TIME, The Cantos of Ezra Pound, now some forty years in the making and not yet complete, has for its materials not the "growth of a poet's mind," like Wordsworth's Prelude, nor … Always, what matters most isn’t whether their methodology is sound, but whether what they are doing serves to enrich contemporary life and culture. He is the author or co-author of several books, including "Thinking Through Philosophy: An Introduction. In Nietzsche’s view, his culture (and he would probably say ours too) has become bloated with too much knowledge. They are viewed as providing a paradigm that contemporary art should not challenge or deviate from. Antiquarian history refers to the scholarly immersion in some past period or past culture. Engaging and challenging, this book confronts the reader with the many 'histories' that exist and have existed around the world, from the Zulu kingdoms to Communist China. E.g. Whenever he could, he would take the train to Lucerne to visit Wagner, who at the time was composing his four-opera Ring Cycle. Use and Abuse of History has become a key text of current historiography; this is a book that poses fundamental and disturbing questions about the use and abuse of history. Forward \”Incidentally, I despise everything which merely instructs me without increasing or immediately enlivening my activity. Sometimes, the exodus is connected with the present immigration and often, the people most engaged in remembering Istrian and Dalmatian refugees struggle against the arrival of immigrants in Italy. It makes us think we are more just than previous ages. Scholars obsess over methodology and sophisticated analysis. Nietzsche does not mention in this essay his friend at the time, the composer Richard Wagner. References In its original French form, The Use and Abuse of History (Comment on raconte l'histoire aux enfants à travers le monde entier) itself was first published in 1981, with an English translation following in 1984; and in a short Preface to the new 2003 edition, the author explains that he has found it undesirable to modify the original text ‘by a single comma’. In 1874, Friedrich Nietzsche published his Untimely Observations, the second part of which was called On the Use and Abuse of History. — J. The work itself, of course, is incredible. Greek tragedy, Renaissance painting) as canonical. It has been described as classic within two decades of its publication. It is quite likely that no such figure could arise again since those circumstances will never occur again. The Use and Abuse of History. But this approach also has potential drawbacks. This use (and abuse) of history and memory often concerns the events happened in the Julian Venetia. Use and Abuse of History. But monumental history carries certain dangers. Advanced embedding details, examples, and help! After Hegel, it was generally accepted that a knowledge of the past is a good thing. When used in this way, monumental history can block the path to new and original cultural achievements. As we read of the great deeds done by our forefathers, and the achievements of other nations, our mind becomes peopled with many noble and great figures. I will show in them why instruction that does not "quicken," knowledge that slackens the rein of activity, why in fact history, in Goethe's phrase, must be seriously "hated," as a costly and superfluous luxury of the understanding: for we are still in want of the necessari… book by friedrich nietzsche. And this explosion of knowledge is not serving “life”–that is, it is not leading to a richer, more vibrant, contemporary culture. Emrys Westacott is a professor of philosophy at Alfred University. Basle represented historical scholarship. In this lecture of 1961, Michael Howard assesses the uses and abuses of the study of military history from the perspectives of both the academic historian and the practising soldier. In the early 19th century, Hegel (1770-1831) had constructed a philosophy of history which saw the history of civilization as both the expansion of human freedom and the development of greater self-consciousness regarding the nature and meaning of history. "On the Use and Abuse of History for Life", 1874 ("Vom Nutzen und Nachteil der Historie für das Leben") offers—instead of the prevailing view of "knowledge as an end in itself"—an alternative way of reading history, one where living life becomes the primary concern, along with a description of how this might improve the health of a society. However, James Millward, a history professor at Georgetown University, thinks this was a misconception, if not a falsehood. It makes us think of ourselves as inferior imitators of our predecessors. philosophers who immerse themselves in Stoicism no longer live like Stoics; they just live like everyone else. This review is about the translation. View Inside Format: Cloth Price: $48.00. Instead of revering the past, one rejects it as part of the process of creating something new. But the best kind of history isn’t the kind that is scrupulously objective in a dry scholarly sense. This is the approach to history especially typical of academics. A study of history, moreover, broadens the mind, enlarges the sympathies and quickens the imagination. EMBED (for wordpress.com hosted blogs and archive.org item tags) Want more? It is this very dilemma of how to responsibly treat history that German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche tried to tackle in an essay titled "On the Use and Abuse of … The cultural products of the past are seen as so wonderful that we can simply rest content with them and not try to create anything new. And the reverence for the past it encourages can inhibit originality. In fact, the nineteenth century prided itself on being more historically informed than any previous age. Tackling the Dilemma of History. In supporting this idea, Nietzsche especially complains at the way modern scholars cram themselves too quickly with too much knowledge. Nietzsche, however, as he loves to do, calls this widespread belief into question. Finally, the participants identified a number of approaches to face and counter misuses of history. It is this very dilemma of how to responsibly treat history that German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche tried to tackle in an essay titled "On the Use and Abuse of History for Life" as part of his Untimely Meditations series. The Use and Abuse of History is a collection of articles written by Finley in the early seventies on the subject of historiography, many dealing with the relationship between ancient history (in the sense of the history of classical civilisation) and other subjects. The Use and Abuse of History. The result is that they lose profundity. Monumental history focuses on examples of human greatness, individuals who “magnify the concept of man….giving it a more beautiful content.” Nietzsche doesn’t name names, but he presumably means people like Moses, Jesus, Pericles, Socrates, Caesar, Leonardo, Goethe, Beethoven, and Napoleon. Use and Abuse of History is the second essay in that volume. It also introduces an attack against the basic precepts of classic humanism. They are an antidote to world-weariness. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Here, as in all his writings, the creation of an impressive culture is of prime importance to Nietzsche. Use and Abuse of History has become a key text of current historiography; this is a book that poses fundamental and disturbing questions about the use and abuse of history. Rather than posit history with any sort of investigation is an ongoing process, continually correcting its errors. In one place Nietzsche describes it as “a dark driving insatiably self-desiring power,” but that doesn’t tell us much. The Use and Abuse of History ThemeTracker The ThemeTracker below shows where, and to what degree, the theme of The Use and Abuse of History appears in each section of Reflections on the Revolution in France. The result is that instead of having a living culture, we have merely a knowledge of culture. I picked it up with high expectations – MacMillan is the much-heralded author of Paris 1919 – and was almost immediately disappointed by a style crafted to offend and interest no one. Read this History Other Essay and over 89,000 other research documents. Pieter Geyl. When the traveller, who had seen many countriesand nations and continents, was asked what commonattribute he had found everywhere existing amongmen, he answered, “They have a tendency to sloth.”Many may think that the fuller truth would havebeen, “They are all timid.” They hide themselvesbehind “manners” and “opinions.” At bottomevery man knows well enough that he is a uniquebeing, only once on this earth; and by no extraordinarychance will such a marvellously picturesq… The danger here, though, is that we will be unfair to the past. This review is about the translation. YUP. Use and abuse of history by Pieter Geyl, 1955, Yale University Press edition, in English Between 1873 and 1876 Nietzsche published four “Untimely Meditations.” The second of these is the essay often referred to as “The Use and Abuse of History for Life.” (1874) A more accurate translation of the title, though, is “On the Uses and Disadvantages of History for Life.”. Hegel’s own philosophy represents the highest stage yet achieved in humanity’s self-understanding. Reading this book was like sipping a cup of tepid cocoa. The Use and Abuse of History. One thing that all great individuals have in common is a cavalier willingness to risk their life and material well-being. In the spiky sub-genre of the "uses and abuses of history," this book is all soft round edges. The philosophy is purely theoretical. E.g. Not something to be lived. Explore More Items. Instead of really experiencing things, we take up a detached, scholarly attitude to them. Engaging and challenging, this book confronts the reader with the many 'histories' that exist and have existed around the world, from the Zulu kingdoms to Communist China. An excellent text; the best I have found on the subject. Complex Variables and the Laplace Transform for Engineers. Wagner’s house at Tribschen represented life. On the contrary. Greece, Rome, the Renaissance), which includes knowledge of past philosophy, literature, art, music, and so on. Between 1873 and 1876 Nietzsche published four “Untimely Meditations.” The second of these is the essay often referred to as “The Use and Abuse of History for Life.” (1874) A more accurate translation of the title, though, is “On the Uses and Disadvantages of History for Life.” The Meaning of 'History' and 'Life' Buy The Use and Abuse of History by Finley, M.I. Engaging and challenging, this book confronts the reader with the many 'histories' that exist and have existed around the world, from the Zulu kingdoms to Communist China. Pieter Geyl is professor of modern history at the University of Utrecht and author of. When we view these past figures as inspirational, we may distort history by overlooking the unique circumstances that gave rise to them. history book. Similarly, all fields of history – not only political but also economic, social and cultural history – run the risk of abuse. Nietzsche was working as a professor at the time at the University of Basle in Switzerland. Our shopping cart only supports Mozilla Firefox. he Use and Abuse of History, Or, How the Past is Taught is a 1981 book by Marc Ferro about the interaction between politics and historiography. Original artistic movements are often very critical of the styles they replace (the way Romantic poets rejected the artificial diction of 18th-century poets). By “history,” Nietzsche mainly means historical knowledge of previous cultures (e.g. In doing so, they lose sight of the real purpose of their work. One might think here, for instance, of the difference between being transported by a painting or a musical composition, and noticing how it reflects certain influences from previous artists or composers. 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