Portfolio: Final Exam

“Why [consider history]? Simply because I am interested in the past? No, if one means by that a history of the past in terms of the present. Yes, if one means the history of the present.” History is one of the more complex subjects. It involves more than just dates and times in the past. It delves much deeper than that. This quote by Michel Foucault is a way to show the depth of history.
***************
In this quote, Foucault is saying that history cannot be judged by what is normal today. History today can only be judged by what is normal for modern day man. What happened in the past was the pathway for how people and society have gotten where they are today. Times are different and people are different compared to what they were a couple to hundreds of years ago. For example, people today have televisions, phones, and cars. In the late 18th century, people read books, wrote letters, and either walked or rode horseback to their destinations. Life is easier now than it was then and for that reason, history must be judged based on hat life was like then, not how life is now. Present history can be studied by what is common now, but past history cannot.
*****************
Foucault’s theory can compare to my own experiences and/or observations. Many times when I was younger and even now, I would look back on history and say how much better my life is compared to “those poor fools” as I often said. I would say how I have television and internet while saying all they had were books, little wood homes, and no electricity. After reading Foucault’s question, I find that I have a different answer for why we consider history. I learn and consider history not because I am interested in the past but because I want to learn from it. By understanding history, society has a better chance of not repeating past mistakes but also how to deal with similar events if they might occur.
*****************
My answer influences what I have learned in class because I do not look at what I have learned in the same manner. I do not look back on history as just another date lost in time. I see it as a way to grow and increase my knowledge so that past mistakes can be avoided if possible. For example, Great Britain became all controlling over the colonies, deciding what was to be law and how life was to be. This led to the American Revolution where the colonists rebelled against Britain to gain freedom from tyranny. By learning from this point in time, I can do my part to ensure that the United States government does not become all powerful and all controlling over its people. On another hand, my learning could very well have been different with a different answer to Foucault’s question. Had my answer been more along the lines of “history is studied because it needs to be,” my learning history might not have been as important. If I was just studying history because I had to, then all I would say is that it is merely a bunch of dates placed in chronological order. I would not care about history, if it had no actual importance to me. Say people are taught about slavery just because they have to be. Myself and others would more than likely, just read the information instead of taking the time to understand it. Not understanding could possibly result in slavery becoming a large issue once again.
****************
Foucault believes that history can not be looked upon by today’s standards. It must be looked upon by the standards of the time. I say that history is considered because people have to know history to learn from past mistakes. His viewpoint and mine may be different in their ways but it all involves understanding our history. Whether that history is modern day history or history of the past, all depends upon the question being asked. I can only hope that people will be able to understand how important history is from all perspectives before they decide that they do not care. As for me, I have learned how important history really is to my life and to society whether or not I always see it.