What Is History? Part 12
by Clyde N. Wilson
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Revolutions turn into institutions; revolts that renew the youth of old societies in their turn grow old; and the past, which was full of new things, of splits and innovations and insurrections, seems to us a single texture of tradition. . . . . Perhaps there is really no such thing as a Revolution recorded in history. What happened was always a Counter-Revolution. Men were always rebelling against the last rebels; or even repenting of the last rebellion. —Chesterton
It was in any case a time of wild disturbance, and, as is common in such times, those who were trying to put things right were most vigorously accused of putting things wrong. —Chesterton
Eccentricity has always abounded when and where strength of character has abounded; and the amount of eccentricity in a society has generally been proportional to the amount of genius, mental vigour, and moral courage which it contained. —John Stuart Mill
They came for the Confederate flags but I had none, so I did nothing. Then they came for the Confederate statues, but I had never even seen one, so I did nothing. Next they came for the state songs, but I didn’t even know what my state song was, so I did nothing. Now they’ve come for me, and there are no Southerners left. . . . —Florence King, “As we look to the future of America’s ethnic-cleansing movement . . .”
The mediocre always hold the superior back even when they are on the same side. —Florence King
Tell the truth, but tell it slant. —Emily Dickinson
History, like science, is never a finalizing or definitive enterprise. It is a never-ending and self-revising one in light of novel vantages, methodologies, and data. —Edward R. Wallace IV
The business [of history] is to study events not accessible to our observation and to study these events inferentially, arguing to them from something else which is accessible to our observation, and which the historian calls “evidence” for the events in which he is interested. —R.G. Collingwood
We are accustomed to say that “the present is the product of the past” . . . but it is equally true to say that the past (our imagined picture of it) is the product of the present . . . The past is a kind of screen upon which we project our vision of the future; and it is indeed a moving picture, borrowing much of its form and color from our fears and aspirations. —Carl Becker
An erroneous and one-sided conception of the scientific method, based on a caricatured and outdated picture of the natural sciences, has kept many historians from appreciating the interactive and mutually conditioning role of theorizing and data-gathering in both history and natural science. —Edward R. Wallace IV
The supreme function of statesmanship is to provide against preventable evils. —Enoch Powell
The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule. —H.L. Mencken
War is part of the intercourse of the human race. —Clausewitz
War is the province of uncertainty. —Clausewitz
It is always difficult to date the turn of the tide, which seems to be a welter of eddies; the very dates seeming to overlap and confuse the crisis. —Chesterton
They call this progress, but they don’t say where it is going. —Faulkner
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1 Comment by Brock H. on 2 June 2008:
“They call this progress, but they don’t say where it is going. —Faulkner”
If only he had lived to see just where “progressive” movements took the United States. The progress of the New Deal gave us permanent debt and inflation. The progress of the abolition of slavery and the civil rights movement that followed gave us a black populace that is overwhelmingly poor, far removed from the white populace as far as personal conduct and political thought are concerned, and militant in its demands for government entitlements as reparations for decades of oppression. The progress of the sexual revolution gave us a lost generation of Americans, replaced by Hispanics and other 3rd-worlders to do the jobs and inherit the estate that were their birthrights. But then, abortion-and-contraception-on-demand saw to it that they didn’t have to be born.
“Progress” and “progressive” are meaningless and empty slogans, if they are meant to give a reason why some long-standing social or legal barrier should be broken down. They are verbal symbols of left-wing ideology, and the fruits of their labor are nothing but destructive.
2 Comment by Frank on 2 June 2008:
Yet one must be wary of those who alter history to fit their ideologies and other purposes.
The truth is worth pursuing, and accurately recording, even if objectivity is impossible.
If Chesterton never said “beware of cynics” with regard to their coming to believe there is no truth and that what is accepted as truth might as well be molded to fit their (the cynics) interests, then he should have.
Heh, I am not fan of this:
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Btw, I finally replied in this previous thread. My apologies for the delay. I doubt there’s anything to discuss on the matter really, but I’ve clicked to “Feed on Comments to this post” and will be sure to read any that appear.
3 Comment by Frank on 2 June 2008:
I think it preferred for lessons to be taught via stories of fiction rather than stories reputed to be nonfiction. It is important to ensure children learn the right lessons, but it is also important to preserve the truth as best one can.
I thought of a reason not to alter the truth: Man should not play god, and altering history is just such a egotistical act. Alterations may lead to unintended results, especially since as times change desired propaganda changes.
Similarly, it’s important not to repeat history and, as times change, these societal memories of the past will be as important as individual memories: the use of falsified data may, and likely will, lead to false conclusions. A society acting on such lies might be more likely to make fatally erroneous decisions than one acting on a more accurate version of the truth.
This is addressed to no one in particular – I just felt compelled to address this.
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I like the John Stuart Mill and have located the quote here.
4 Comment by Frank on 2 June 2008:
And history provides a link to ancestors and to past generations. It’s vital that each generation possess such links and for history to serve such a role it must be believed true. When a lie is found out, some if not most inevitably will be found out, it will undermine the trustworthiness of the source.
Also, it’s important men believe their actions will be remembered with some accuracy, so that they will be encouraged to act honorably.
I was in a debate recently where I could have used these arguments… One day I’ll gather all I can together for quick and easy reference.
5 Comment by Clyde Wilson on 3 June 2008:
#1 Brock. Faulkner did not live to see what we have become today, but in a speech to the Delta Farmer’s Council in the early 50s, he very clearly saw and laid out the unfolding moral decay of our country.
6 Comment by Rublev's Dog on 3 June 2008:
Dr. Wilson — I would love to see an article from you on Faulkner and his relationship to conservative ideas. He seems fairly misrepresented in academia.
7 Comment by Clyde Wilson on 3 June 2008:
#6. Been there. Done that.
“Faulkner’s Declaration of Independence” in my book FROM UNION TO EMPIRE, originally published as “Ideology and Our Daily Bread” in CHRONICLES May 1983.
“Citizen Faulkner,” in CHRONICLES June 2005
also
“Faulkner and Thomas Wolfe,” CHRONICLES Dec. 1983; and
“Cleanth Brooks on Faulkner”
the latter two in my book DEFENDING DIXIE
This is a pretty important question.
See also Cleanth Brooks, FAULKNER AND YOKNAPATAWPHA and a couple of essays by Mel Bradford which are in GENERATIONS OF THE FAITHFUL HEART (I think),
8 Comment by PcH on 3 June 2008:
It is always funny that when the mediocre mind is caught saying something ridiculous, he will naturally insult his superior with words such as “stupid” or “badly educated,” and through emotional demands for respect, not realizing that inept insults like that just make him look even more ridiculous and unworthy of respect. So when his superior returns his ineptness with genuine kindness, he is confused. Watch: Over time this cycle becomes so predictable, it is outright hilarious.
You might be able to plot a course up to our most gifted individuals by following the trail of jealous insults. But at the top what would you find, but another flawed individual, or worse, a man who realizes that he has absolutely nowhere and no one to whom to give his God-given gifts. This is funny, too.
Of course we all know who the only flawless man was and He gave His gift in a most difficult way. This man knew just how His life would end, yet so many of his parables address human shortcomings in great fun. How did this man laugh so much when the people He loved sought to kill Him?
When the mediocre hold back their superior as they always do, is it a part of our rebellion against God?
9 Comment by Rublev's Dog on 3 June 2008:
#7. Much obliged, sir. UNION TO EMPIRE and DEFENDING DIXIE were in line for my bookshelf, anyway. They have moved to the front of the line.
10 Comment by PcH on 3 June 2008:
#9: You will be very happy with both!
11 Comment by Brock H. on 3 June 2008:
Dr. Wilson,
How can I acquire a copy of FROM UNION TO EMPIRE? I have not been able to find it in any bookstore close to me, nor library.
12 Comment by Clyde Wilson on 4 June 2008:
Brock H. amazon or on the net at faebooks.org/store.
The publisher is very slack, so allow time.
13 Comment by Ronduck on 4 June 2008:
12Clyde Wilson
Brock H. amazon or on the net at faebooks.org/store.
The publisher is very slack, so allow time.
The publisher should make the book available in PDF form, it certainly would make delivery quicker.
14 Comment by M. D. on 13 June 2008:
“Every man should endeavor to understand the meaning of subjugation before it is too late… It means the history of this heroic struggle will be written by the enemy; that our youth will be trained by Northern schoolteachers; will learn from Northern school books their version of the war; will be impressed by the influences of history and education to regard our gallant dead as traitors, and our maimed veterans as fit objects for derision… The conqueror’s policy is to divide the conquered into factions and stir up animosity among them… It is said slavery is all we are fighting for, and if we give it up we give up all. Even if this were true, which we deny, slavery is not all our enemies are fighting for. It is merely the pretense to establish sectional superiority and a more centralized form of government, and to deprive us of our rights and liberties.”
- Patrick Cleburne