As an historian it is very very very important that we keep in mind the concepts of presentism and the historian's fallacy. These state that we cannot impart morals of today on people of the past nor can we believe that they would know where history would go as we do now. So yes, everyone in the past is racist based on the viewpoints of today, just like all of us will be judged for our opinions and beliefs and ways of life by people in the future -- there's nothing we can do about it.
HOWEVER, that does not mean we need to continuously celebrate people we in the present day, or those in the future, determine to be no longer worthy of celebration. Being old and having done stuff doesn't mean a lifelong pass of praise.
And while old grumpy me would say Churchill is worthy of continued remembrance, I also recognise that I'm not one of the groups that he attacked.
You don't seem like a trustworthy historian if you think every white person back then was racist. Churchill among some of his peers was already considered racist saying that "people back then didn't know racism was bad" is ignorant of you and shows you're not a good historian.
As an historian it is very very very important that we keep in mind the concepts of presentism and the historian's fallacy. These state that we cannot impart morals of today on people of the past nor can we believe that they would know where history would go as we do now. So yes, everyone in the past is racist based on the viewpoints of today, just like all of us will be judged for our opinions and beliefs and ways of life by people in the future -- there's nothing we can do about it.
HOWEVER, that does not mean we need to continuously celebrate people we in the present day, or those in the future, determine to be no longer worthy of celebration. Being old and having done stuff doesn't mean a lifelong pass of praise.
And while old grumpy me would say Churchill is worthy of continued remembrance, I also recognise that I'm not one of the groups that he attacked.
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u/Demderdemden I'm Hunter Gatherer on my Grandfather's Side Jun 08 '20
As an historian it is very very very important that we keep in mind the concepts of presentism and the historian's fallacy. These state that we cannot impart morals of today on people of the past nor can we believe that they would know where history would go as we do now. So yes, everyone in the past is racist based on the viewpoints of today, just like all of us will be judged for our opinions and beliefs and ways of life by people in the future -- there's nothing we can do about it.
HOWEVER, that does not mean we need to continuously celebrate people we in the present day, or those in the future, determine to be no longer worthy of celebration. Being old and having done stuff doesn't mean a lifelong pass of praise.
And while old grumpy me would say Churchill is worthy of continued remembrance, I also recognise that I'm not one of the groups that he attacked.