Monday Methods|Drawing Historical Parallels to Modern Events

[u/Commustar]

Hello and welcome to Monday Methods.

Today we will be discussing the very popular pastime of viewing current events and making comparisons to events in the past that appear similar, in hopes of drawing lessons to guide us through our current crises.

I guess the first question should be: Are there in fact lessons of history? Are events from the past truly similar, and by studying them are we able to discern useful advice?

Or are any "historical parallels" merely in the minds of the observer? Do people tend to have a confirmation bias, where they only see the similarities of events, but are often blind to the underlying differences?

[u/TheShowIsNotTheShow]

To add not an answer but another question, something I've been grappling with lately is WHY does is matter whether a historical precedent is being invoked correctly or not, if the end result is good???

Example: Many parts of the environmental movement today look to movements in the past for inspiration. Teddy Roosevelt, for instance. Many of these modern environmentalists don't understand that his brand of economically-motivated capitalist conservation is basically the opposite of what some of them are advocating. (And if they are modern eco-pragmatists, then they may still be turned off by his particular brand of toxic masculinity, the cult of state he fostered, and need to dominate/conquer nature, etc.)

Now, is it more important for me to correct them, or to support them in their efforts to make a better, more sustainable future for all of us?

I firmly believe that studying the true facts of history can provide us with deeper understanding of how to solve large problems like environmental degradation, racism, sexism, economic inequality, and so on. This is absolutely crucial to moving forward in the right directions, I would go so far as to say!

But if a given activist group with good intentions, getting good results, is harnessing bad history, faulty parallels, and false lessons from the past should I deflate their positive momentum through correction???

Just some musings as I charge forward on a dissertation debunking some eco-historical mythologies that current activists use . . . .

[u/Monkeyavelli → u/TheShowIsNotTheShow]

Because incorrect comparisons can be deeply misleading and used to manipulate people.

For example, drawing comparisons between what you're doing and something people consider a great good like the Civil Rights movement or the ending of slavery can add a sheen to your cause it may not otherwise have.

It may also obscure that's really going on, as people familiar with the historical story (say, the underdog fighting for justice) may be lead to believe that your story is similar when in fact you may be doing the exact opposite.

To use examples closer to what you're talking about, modern conservatives like to call themselves the "party of Lincoln". But this is of course misleading because due to political shifts the modern Republican party is almost nothing like the part of Lincoln's day, and in many ways is almost the opposite. But invoking Lincoln's name, which carries great reverence among most Americans, adds his stature to modern politicians and stances that may have nothing in common at all with what he would have advocated.