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  • 3.1 Historical Method

    Version 1.2 February 2017                                           (Previous Version)

    These are the questions we ask in the introduction (Section 0.1.6 – paragraph 14):

    Why do we have so much trouble agreeing on our history?  Can history tell us anything?  Can we learn anything from history?  Or are we condemned to repeat it?  Can we honestly say we understand how history unfolds?  Or can we only tell lots of individual stories?  Do the famous people make history?  Or are they subject to blind historical forces?  Can history be objective, or is it always tainted?  Is history only written by whoever wins the war?  If what we believe now is a product of our history, is there any reason to believe we are any closer to the truth now rather than earlier?

    We need to understand what the “facts of history” are.  We generally assume that the real historical “facts” can't be changed, but we can change what we believe they were.  But what makes a “fact” an historical one?  Once we know the facts then we can supposedly join the dots together to make a story and explain how and why things happened as they did, based on the historical records (all sorts of written documents, but also video and oral histories) as well as scientific evidence.  We must avoid looking only at one side of a story, such as the victors in a war or social movement, and we must be aware of and try to counteract the inbuilt biases we have acquired from our culture and learning.  We believe it is reasonable to attempt to construct an historical consensus, of what has happened globally over the long term. 

    We are not blind to the risks involved and the controversies that will arise, as people come to the task from different backgrounds with different preconceptions and theoretical frameworks, and as we learn more “facts” and gain more “insight”.  The goal is not only laudable but doable!

    We have to understand how we can develop reliable history because too many of our leaders are ignorant or deliberately distort history to gain or maintain our support. 

    We propose to look at how we know what we know about history under the following headings:

    1. Historical Facts:

    Can we say what really are the facts of history?

    Is it reasonable to break down this area into these topics at this level?

    Click on feedback, or add a comment below, to tell us if you agree or disagree, or suggest improvements.

    2. Historical Theories:

    Can we reliably join the facts into stories?

    3. Historical Documents:

    Do we only get history from old documents?

    4. Scientific Support:

    Can science help work out what happened?

    5. Previous Bogus History:

    How have we been misled in the past?

    6. Recent Bogus History:

    How have we been misled recently?

    7. Post Modernism:

    Can we work out what really happened?

    8. Long Term Global History

    Can we find a global historical consensus?

    As stated in the chapter overview, this is the current summary of our conclusions in this area:

    History aims to describe humanity’s past and identify trends into the future by reasoning about the evidence, like science, and openly debating the process and conclusions, but there is a lot of biased, oversimplified or plainly bogus history designed to promote one nation or group over another and we must be wary of it.

      more                                                              Statement 14

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  • Global Beliefs Site local logo

    Do you know of any great music that would go well with this page?

    Or any of the other pages?

    IF YOU DO, CLICK FEEDBACK.

    It could be in any language, or have no words, or just be instrumental.  From pop, to classical, a cappella to orchestral!

    Examples of the music we seek:

    ●   On the Tenets page, accessed from the main menu, our current choice is a Song Without Words from Mendelssohn (who died in 1847), Opus 14 Nbr 4, called Contentment.  Check it out: the Tenets conclude most times, I have a measure of content.

    ●   Chapter 2.3 covers the solar system and Earth’s development.  In there somewhere, surely we should be hearing Gustav Holst's The Planets, which premiered 100 years ago.  There is a movement for each of the planets.

    Please tell as much identifying information as you can: a link, and/or the name of the piece and a person’s name may be enough, but if you know it please also send the artist/performer, composer/lyricist, year written, year recorded, record label, copyright owner, or similar details.

    We have to worry about copyright: acknowledge it, and not infringe on it.  Music that is out of copyright, or was never copyrighted (eg like real, ie very old, folk music) is good.  Some material is ‘open source’ allowing others to use it for free.  For newer restricted copyright music we may have to seek permission to play it, but we can’t afford to pay for it.  It depends on the circumstances.  In general, copyright in text, images and music lasts for 70 years after the year of the creator's death, even if the creator does not own copyright.

    We acknowledge the traditional owners and custodians of Country, throughout all colonised lands, and their connections to land, waters and community. We pay respect by giving voice to truth, values and social justice, acknowledging our shared history, and valuing the cultures of first nations peoples.

    Copyright © 2008 - 2026 Trevor J Rogers, care of the address shown on this page. All rights reserved. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission from the copyright owner. Any approved reproduction is permitted only with full attribution of the source, referring to this site and this copyright notice. The moral right of the author is asserted.

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