I’m hardly a scholar, but I take a purposefully objective view of history (And I enjoy it immensely). I certainly feel no compulsion to apologize for the actions of the people who came before me and I find it highly objectionable when I’m expected to do so. Two of my great-grandparents’ families owned slaves. However, since I have never owned a slave and have no compulsion to do so, I feel no guilt about my great-grandparents lifestyles or that period in American history. I have enough transgressions of my own, I don’t need to take on those of my forefathers.
Humans have, in many respects and in many places, advanced in law, government and all the other elements of culture since the legal codes of Hammurabi and I think people who believe otherwise are either unfamiliar with the body of literature—especially the source documents available—or are not understanding what they read, or their opinions are colored by their agendas.
Not being a scholar, I can only speak to the West. Things have changed for the better, even though it may be fashionable to believe otherwise. As an example of improvements, the execution and maintenance of Empire has changed with little, incremental tweaks from that of Sumer, Babylon, Greece, Rome, Spain, Great Britain, and now the U.S. Being a subject state of empire is a lot easier than it once was, with each succeeding empire focusing less on brutally superimposing their culture on these states and instead focusing on the acquisition of resources—which is the object of empire in the first place.
The Hebrews found the Roman occupation of Israel a great improvement over the Greeks precisely because the Romans could care less what God the Jews obeyed or what they ate, or how they conducted their private lives—as long as they paid financial homage to Caesar. Gone were the soldiers coming through the villages, grabbing the elder and forcing him too eat pork in front of the other citizens. Later on, the British allowed an unusual amount of religious freedoms among the natives of their conquered states, whereas the Spanish before them tolerated none—it was either Catholicism or death.
One must agree that life for all classes is much improved since the feudalism of the 14th century, due to technology which has afforded the luxury of time, a more equitable division of labor, and the ability for enough people to stop and think of more enlightened ways of governance and living. (I suggest historian Barbara Tuchman’s book concerning the 14th century).
Another example: take a look at the life of a lower class female—which represented the vast majority of females— in London or New York of just a century ago, compared to today. Some things have improved in some places and the developed nations have the opportunity to lead the way into a more enlightened way of life for the rest.
I become less objective about current events. I do catch myself being apologetic at times about things that have occurred within my generation. There is enough of that for a lifetime of remorse if I had the proclivities for remorse about things that I haven’t personally done. I don’t need to search history for reasons to feel disappointed. Therefore, I have no patience with societies, especially the wealthiest, that appear to take a step backward in this most luxurious era, or waste what they have.
Equally, I have no patience with anachronistic groups who wish to bring back the laws and methods that one sees in the old testament. Much of what I see disturbs me, but I must remember that it’s a slow process, especially when there are now 7 billion people to get on the same page before we move on to the next. Small regressions are to be expected in any grand endeavour. I have to remind myself of this constantly.
We have history to teach us of our capacity for violence and annihilation from the Bans of the O.T. to the genocide of Darfur. We also have history to teach us how to wend our way through the congested forest of cultural stresses to peace and prosperity for both ourselves and our neighbours.
When did Fluther’s Spell Check go British?
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