Introduction to Critical Thinking – History and Power

History and Its Objectivity

History is the study of past events and the olden days of life. It is a fascinating field of study, but it does have its vices. The question of whether history is objective or subjective is one that has a history of its own. History itself can never be changed and is objective. However, the interpretation of history changes throughout the years and is subjective. This raises important questions about the nature of historical knowledge and its impact on our understanding of the present and future.

Introduction to Critical Thinking – History and Power

History is usually written by those in power. Due to this reason, we rarely get to see history from different viewpoints, and minorities are especially ignored. Whenever wars occurred in the past, the records were maintained only by the victors, i.e., the people in power. This means that the history we read today is biased towards the victors, and the other side of the story, as well as the actual truth, rarely exists. The truth is often lost over time, especially as races die out and only a few relics of those civilizations survive. Historians interpret these relics to some extent, but not without biases and preconceptions of their own. As time progresses, the interpretation of history changes, reflecting contemporary values and ideologies.

Case Study: North Korea

The North Korean government launched the attack which began the war for the Communist unification of Korea in 1950, but it has always denied that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) instigated the war in any way. They maintain that the United States of America was the main instigator and that they used South Korea to provoke them. North Korea has also claimed that the United States wanted to use the Korean peninsula as "a bridgehead for invading the Asian continent, and as a strategic base from which to fight against national-liberation movements and socialism, and, ultimately, to attain world supremacy" (Kim, 1997). The DPRK has also denied all the war crimes that the North Korean army committed throughout the course of the war, even though there is clear evidence of it. The history of North Korea is convoluted, serving as one of the best examples of how people in power can change history. The amount of propaganda spread by the leaders of North Korea is unmatched, especially since only a handful of people have access to modern technologies like the internet. The leaders have manipulated history in such a way that they are now supposed to be considered deities. The citizens of North Korea have been indoctrinated into believing whatever the government wants them to believe (Armstrong, 2013).

Case Study: Soviet Union

The Communist Party of the Soviet Union attempted to control the writing of history during the extent of the Russian SFSR and the Soviet Union, with the most successful attempts being between 1934-52. They tried to promote their ideology and racial imperialism. Unlike North Korea, Soviet historiographic practice is complicated because it’s not completely manipulated. The Communist Party mostly deleted references to leaders ousted from the party. This was most common during the rule of Joseph Stalin. The most famous example is that of Nikolai Yezhov. Following his execution in 1940, he was edited out of photos by Soviet censors (Fitzpatrick, 2008). This highlights the extent to which historical narratives can be altered to serve political agendas, shaping the collective memory of entire populations.

Fictional Representation: Shingeki no Kyojin

In the fictional Japanese manga and anime series, 'Shingeki no Kyojin', we are introduced to a post-apocalyptic world where humanity is almost extinct. The last few thousand survivors live in cities surrounded by enormous walls that protect them from the dangers outside. There is no written account of their history, and no one knows how they ended up living there. The people live in constant fear of death, echoed by huge beings called ‘Titans’ who feed on humans. The king’s bloodline has the power to alter the memory of everyone living inside the walls. Using this power, his bloodline had been controlling all the humans inside the walls for over 100 years. Although the first King had good intentions behind using his power to alter the memory of the citizens, as time went on, the latter kings became increasingly corrupt. They started to use it for their personal benefit, which led to more than 20% of the population dying at the hands of the Titans (Isayama, 2009).

Conclusion

These examples, both real and fictional, illustrate the complex relationship between history, power, and memory. The manipulation of historical narratives can have profound implications for societies, affecting not only how we understand the past but also how we envision the future. As we study history, it is crucial to remain aware of these dynamics and strive for a more inclusive and nuanced understanding of the past.

References

Armstrong, C. K. (2013). Tyranny of the weak: North Korea and the world, 1950–1992. Cornell University Press.

Fitzpatrick, S. (2008). The Russian Revolution. Oxford University Press.

Isayama, H. (2009). Shingeki no Kyojin. Kodansha.

Kim, I. (1997). With the Century. Foreign Languages Publishing House.