THE TRAP OF PRESENT-DAY: PRESENTISM AS AN ISSUE AND ITS BOUNDARIES IN HISTORICAL METHODOLOGY

Authors : İbrahim Yorgun

Pages : 881-898

Doi:10.18513/egetid.1543287

View : 4 | Download : 3

Publication Date : 2024-12-27

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Historical events and past actions often have long-term effects and distant consequences that extend beyond their immediate context. This article argues that historians must be entitled to consider these far-reaching impacts when analyzing historical events and actions, thereby enhancing their understanding of the past. By reassessing presentism, which is the anachronistic imposition of modern perspectives on historical analysis, the article seeks to address a significant challenge in the discipline of history writing. Presentism distorts our understanding of the past by projecting contemporary values and ideas onto historical events. To counteract this tendency, the study also emphasizes the importance of contextual analysis, advocating for a rigorous examination of the cultural, social, economic, and political environments in which historical events occurred. The study also found that extracting historical events and actions from their temporal, contextual, cultural, or geographical settings often leads to presentism, making it crucial for historians to maintain a disciplined approach to understanding the past within its proper context.
Keywords : Anachronism, Presentism, Whig History, Objectivity, Racism, Slavery