History Explained
"So," enquired the Communist, "is Emily going to do just Archaeology, or is she going to do a joint degree - Archaeology and History?"
"I'm not sure yet," I said, "she has offers for both."
"Well, if she does both, then eventually she'll come to see History from a Marxist perspective," he said.
"Possibly not if she does Mediaeval History," I commented, just to be difficult.
"Ah, but that's not really history," explained the Communist.
"Er - What do you mean?"
"History started with Cromwell. The English Revolution. Then there was the French Revolution. Then the Russian Revolution."
"And before that? Before Cromwell?"
"Well, there wasn't any history before that. None worth mentioning, anyway. Before that it was the Dark Ages."
So, perhaps Sellars and Yeatman weren't quite correct in 1066 and All That when they said that "History is what you can remember". It's probably more along the lines of "History is what you choose to remember."
"I'm not sure yet," I said, "she has offers for both."
"Well, if she does both, then eventually she'll come to see History from a Marxist perspective," he said.
"Possibly not if she does Mediaeval History," I commented, just to be difficult.
"Ah, but that's not really history," explained the Communist.
"Er - What do you mean?"
"History started with Cromwell. The English Revolution. Then there was the French Revolution. Then the Russian Revolution."
"And before that? Before Cromwell?"
"Well, there wasn't any history before that. None worth mentioning, anyway. Before that it was the Dark Ages."
So, perhaps Sellars and Yeatman weren't quite correct in 1066 and All That when they said that "History is what you can remember". It's probably more along the lines of "History is what you choose to remember."
posted by Daphne at 12:05 am
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