I was also reminded of a quote that Brooks D. Simpson tweeted on Twitter:
"One reason so many people engage in counterfactual thinking about history is that it relieves them of the need to find out and understand what actually happened. That would mean doing a lot of reading and learning."
If Nikole Hannah-Jones had done more studying than merely trying to tear down history, she would
"[a]ppreciate the tapestry for what it is," as you said, instead of trying to "pull out a stitch here or there," which has only resulted in "unraveling the entire thing." She would also do well to adhere to Law 9 of Brands's Laws: You can’t fix the past. (It’s not broken. It’s a work in progress)
I didn’t expect this morning to be spending time thinking about historical philosophy when I opened today’s essay. But thank you.
Ralph Waldo Emerson may have placed in Napoleon Bonaparte’s mouth the words “History is a set of lies agreed upon,” which, of course, since Napoleon spoke French not English, he probably didn’t actually say, but may have borrowed in French the ideas of Bernard Le Bovier de Fontenelle, who in “L’Origine des Fables” was speaking about ancient history. Wendell Phillips may have actually used the word “lies.” (Or so says https://quoteinvestigator.com/2016/07/05/fable.) But nevertheless, this is an example of the phenomenon demonstrated by the parlor game “telephone” about which you have previously written [“Teaching and the telephone game-Beware the mind meld,” January 24, 2024].
Because the Texas Constitution mandated the Texas Legislature to promote the study of Texas history (Tex. Const. Art. VII, § 7, repealed in 1969) and it did, I took Texas history in 7th grade and American history in 8th. Between those two grades, "Look" magazine in 1960 published a short story "If the South Had Won the Civil War," written by MacKinlay Kantor, which he later turned into a novel. (For those younger than I, "Look"- a magazine which my maternal grandmother took, and "Life"-which my paternal grandmother took-were important sources of worldly perspectives to a 12- and 13-year-old in the 1950s and 1960s.) That introduced me to alternate history fiction.
Somehow, I was later exposed to the ideas of British historian, philosopher and archaeologist R.G. Collingwood (1889-1943), who expounded that there should be no "if" in history, arguing that historical understanding requires immersing oneself in the past, grasping the thoughts and motivations of historical figures without imposing speculative "what if" scenarios. He emphasized interpreting history through an understanding of the people involved, rather than engaging in counterfactual speculation about alternative outcomes, focusing on comprehending the past on its own terms rather than introducing hypothetical possibilities.
So I became disenchanted with alternate history fiction as I had with science fiction.
Then I was strenuously introduced to thought experiments in a sophomore physics course taught by Rainer Sachs and strenuously introduced to the Socratic method in law school, that caused me to recognize the value of hypotheticals and thought experiments in developing critical thinking skills. I later re-examined my earlier disdain for fiction, whether historical or science, and came to the conclusion that each merited a place in literature for their ability to allow an author and reader to explore subjects that may be of interest, even of value, without having to be constricted by supporting what was written in present truth.
Which brings me to my present thought that academia, or at least some brave scholars within, should strive to again merge the separate disciplines of psychology, sociology, history, political science, economics, archaeology, anthropology, and perhaps some other “ologies” back into the overall discipline of philosophy from which they originally sprang.
But that may be wishful Wednesday morning thinking.
Terrific essay by Dr. Brands, but then that is a redundancy. By coincidence, several years ago I had a dream similar to the one Brands describes. Some of the details were different, but I too woke up right before my car hit bottom. RE: "The good and the bad are knotted together inextricably. If you start pulling strings to eliminate the bad, the good unravels too. Appreciate the tapestry for what it is." There was a Twilight Zone episode back in the 60s with that theme. A man manages to go back in time to try to prevent the assassination of President Lincoln. He fails, although he does inadvertently change a few details. The narrator (Rod Serling) concludes by saying "the tapestry of history is woven tightly, although a few threads may be unraveled."
As to the consideration of whether the native Americans would have remained pretty much as they were absent the contact and influence with Europeans I think we can surmise they most likely would have. This conclusion is based on the fact of numerous other isolated indigenous groups still living the same lifestyle well I to the 20th century until also discovered or impacted by outsiders.
Another thought-provoking post, Bill. It reminds me of a couple of your past posts: Suppose (https://hwbrands.substack.com/p/suppose-) and Bradbury's butterfly (https://hwbrands.substack.com/p/bradburys-butterfly).
I was also reminded of a quote that Brooks D. Simpson tweeted on Twitter:
"One reason so many people engage in counterfactual thinking about history is that it relieves them of the need to find out and understand what actually happened. That would mean doing a lot of reading and learning."
If Nikole Hannah-Jones had done more studying than merely trying to tear down history, she would
"[a]ppreciate the tapestry for what it is," as you said, instead of trying to "pull out a stitch here or there," which has only resulted in "unraveling the entire thing." She would also do well to adhere to Law 9 of Brands's Laws: You can’t fix the past. (It’s not broken. It’s a work in progress)
Such an intriguing and interesting post!
I didn’t expect this morning to be spending time thinking about historical philosophy when I opened today’s essay. But thank you.
Ralph Waldo Emerson may have placed in Napoleon Bonaparte’s mouth the words “History is a set of lies agreed upon,” which, of course, since Napoleon spoke French not English, he probably didn’t actually say, but may have borrowed in French the ideas of Bernard Le Bovier de Fontenelle, who in “L’Origine des Fables” was speaking about ancient history. Wendell Phillips may have actually used the word “lies.” (Or so says https://quoteinvestigator.com/2016/07/05/fable.) But nevertheless, this is an example of the phenomenon demonstrated by the parlor game “telephone” about which you have previously written [“Teaching and the telephone game-Beware the mind meld,” January 24, 2024].
Because the Texas Constitution mandated the Texas Legislature to promote the study of Texas history (Tex. Const. Art. VII, § 7, repealed in 1969) and it did, I took Texas history in 7th grade and American history in 8th. Between those two grades, "Look" magazine in 1960 published a short story "If the South Had Won the Civil War," written by MacKinlay Kantor, which he later turned into a novel. (For those younger than I, "Look"- a magazine which my maternal grandmother took, and "Life"-which my paternal grandmother took-were important sources of worldly perspectives to a 12- and 13-year-old in the 1950s and 1960s.) That introduced me to alternate history fiction.
Somehow, I was later exposed to the ideas of British historian, philosopher and archaeologist R.G. Collingwood (1889-1943), who expounded that there should be no "if" in history, arguing that historical understanding requires immersing oneself in the past, grasping the thoughts and motivations of historical figures without imposing speculative "what if" scenarios. He emphasized interpreting history through an understanding of the people involved, rather than engaging in counterfactual speculation about alternative outcomes, focusing on comprehending the past on its own terms rather than introducing hypothetical possibilities.
So I became disenchanted with alternate history fiction as I had with science fiction.
Then I was strenuously introduced to thought experiments in a sophomore physics course taught by Rainer Sachs and strenuously introduced to the Socratic method in law school, that caused me to recognize the value of hypotheticals and thought experiments in developing critical thinking skills. I later re-examined my earlier disdain for fiction, whether historical or science, and came to the conclusion that each merited a place in literature for their ability to allow an author and reader to explore subjects that may be of interest, even of value, without having to be constricted by supporting what was written in present truth.
Which brings me to my present thought that academia, or at least some brave scholars within, should strive to again merge the separate disciplines of psychology, sociology, history, political science, economics, archaeology, anthropology, and perhaps some other “ologies” back into the overall discipline of philosophy from which they originally sprang.
But that may be wishful Wednesday morning thinking.
Terrific essay by Dr. Brands, but then that is a redundancy. By coincidence, several years ago I had a dream similar to the one Brands describes. Some of the details were different, but I too woke up right before my car hit bottom. RE: "The good and the bad are knotted together inextricably. If you start pulling strings to eliminate the bad, the good unravels too. Appreciate the tapestry for what it is." There was a Twilight Zone episode back in the 60s with that theme. A man manages to go back in time to try to prevent the assassination of President Lincoln. He fails, although he does inadvertently change a few details. The narrator (Rod Serling) concludes by saying "the tapestry of history is woven tightly, although a few threads may be unraveled."
As to the consideration of whether the native Americans would have remained pretty much as they were absent the contact and influence with Europeans I think we can surmise they most likely would have. This conclusion is based on the fact of numerous other isolated indigenous groups still living the same lifestyle well I to the 20th century until also discovered or impacted by outsiders.