Melting Snow

Tuesday Thoughts on History-Writing

Tuesday, June 27, 2017

The "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise"  prompt for DAY 1200
“History-writing is a way of getting rid of the past.” Goethe
What is Goethe trying to say here, and what do you think of history and historical fiction?

Is history-writing "a way of getting rid of the past"? No! History writing is a way of coming to terms with the past. It is learning about humanity by looking at the strengths and weakness our ancestors passed down to us. It is seeing what was good and bad about the past, so that we can overcome these flaws in present society or ourselves. While our DNA shows us about our ancestry, history-writing shows us the actions of our ancestors that helped determine our present opinions. Both history-writing and knowledge of our DNA help open our minds to the common ground we all stand on.