Theses on the Philosophy of History

“To articulate what is past does not mean to recognize “how it really was.” . The danger threatens the stock of tradition as much as its recipients. For both it is one and the same: handing itself over as the tool of the ruling classes. In every epoch, the attempt must be made to deliver tradition anew from the conformism which is on the point of overwhelming it. For the Messiah arrives not merely as the Redeemer; he also arrives as the vanquisher of the Anti-Christ. The only writer of history with the gift of setting alight the sparks of hope in the past, is the one who is convinced of this: that not even the dead will be safe from the enemy, if he is victorious. And this enemy has not ceased to be victorious” Walter Benjamin.

Interpretation

Benjamin Walter mentions that it is impossible to get all truths from history and that is not a mistake or fault but it is created or manipulated by the ruling classes in favor of themselves. The ruling class justifies and legitimates their rule by creating distorted accounts of history that conceal the history of oppression by them and present themselves as objective and scientific history. Also great figures of the past are twisted by the powerful people to make it fit to suit them.

Why I chose this passage?

I chose this passage because this theory of how truth is manipulated by powerful people and is changed in their way to suit them can be seen today too. We study history in schools and colleges which include how corporate had given people employment, developed the country and so on; but we are not taught how it had exploited workers and children as an ‘industrial slavery’. It also does not teach people about the industrial revolution on which many workers were killed by the corporate and government’s militias while demanding for their rights. In addition, in every war we can hear the country leader mentioning about the God will. But really people can be fooled that easily that they believe that God wants war?

 How do history and nihilism relate? How do people use history as a way to overcome nihilism?

 History and nihilism relate to each other as history is one big disaster and full of suffering and misery; and powerful and strongest people dominated the society until another powerful comes. This norm continued from past which caused people to reject traditional morals and values and continue meaninglessness (nihilism) as a way to justify the oppression and brutality.

People can use history as a way to overcome nihilism by immersing themselves to the history rather than running away. Once people know the history very well they prefer to reject the oppression history and replace with new values and traditions. So, once people dig into the history, they would understand nihilism and then to make a change he should have the will to overcome from it.

 

Reference:

 

http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/benjamin/1940/history.htm

 

http://nihilismlehman.blogspot.com/2011/12/129-walter-benjamin-theses-on.html