1080 dq 14 resp stevo
Discussion 14,
What can we learn from history so we do not repeat it. It seems in several places around the globe, the same rhetoric of what is right or who is included or excluded, accepted or departed, honored or exterminated, person or earth, was articulated at various times in history. What happened? Have we forgotten Elie Wiesels warning to never forget? What are your comments about how our advice to learn from history so we may never repeat it, has failed, and what should a psychologist do from here?
Stevens respond
An interesting discussion to contemplate.
Knowing how we all came to be who we are, where we are, and when we are is of vital significance for the task of improving the lives of those we serve. This is why the knowledge of history, geography, and cultures is just as important as the knowledge of individual beliefs, feelings, and motives. They are all interwoven in our common archetypal matrix (Larson, 2017, pp. 237).
Weve heard the dictum, History repeats itself. I had a university professor claim that this isnt necessarily true, but rather, People repeat history. As a teacher myself, Ive come to the conclusion that if other teachers can make such lofty claims, then why not try it out myself, Uneducated people repeat history. This is not far off from the idea that those that do understand history are bound to repeat it.
I sincerely appreciate the humility that Larsson calls for, that we should appreciate that our theories, too, might very well be considered moot in the years to come, and considered remarkably short-sighted, perhaps even dangerous (Larsson, 2017, pp. 238). This humility is not a common occurrence, though, not from my experience working in academia. There are profound waves working their way through the humanities in particular, and Im not so sure the trajectory is necessarily for the better (Chomsky, 2017). With the rise of identity politics my concern is that we are becoming more divisive than ever, despite the call to inclusion and equity. With the rise of postmodernism there is a call, by some, to view not only history as being awash with utter oppression by the powerful over the lowly, but even the language being used to tell that story as being oppressive. This not only causes a complete dismissal of the telling of history, but even the interest to objectively view it (Jones, 2018). This is a dangerous endeavor indeed, as we have plenty of history where identity politics, on both the left and right side of the political spectrum, has left piles of corpses that total in the 100s of millions, and no side is exempt from the brutality. A wholesale dismissal of culture and the history of a culture as being at its core oppressive, narcissistically dismisses the challenges that so many people of the past have faced and the multitude of individuals that lovingly cooperated across gender, racial, and cultural lines. History is awash with men and women working together though a life that is just utterly, and devastatingly difficult, and both have had a bad go at it, all have had a bad hand dealt, and history should respect that, as should the cultural approach in examining it. Otherwise, its dismissed, and idolatry takes over, again, as it has throughout history, and those that think that this time theyre in charge and things will be different are exactly the ones that open the door for our potential destruction.
Uneducated people repeat history, but so do poorly educated ones.
REFERENCES
Chomsky, N. (2017). Noam Chomsky: The Strange Bubble of French Intellectuals.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=772WncdxCSw&feature=emb_logo
(Links to an external site.)
Jones, J. (2018). Noam Chomsky Explains Whats Wrong with Postmodern Philosophy & French Intellectuals, and How They End Up Supporting Oppressive Power Structures. Open Culture. http://www.openculture.com/2018/02/noam-chomsky-explains-whats-wrong-with-postmodern-philosophy-french-intellectuals.html
(Links to an external site.)
Larsson, P. (2017). Psychological healing: Historical and philosophical foundations of professional psychology. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock. ISBN: 978-1532600616.
