This statement has been heavy on my mind lately. How do historians ensure historical accuracy in the face of victors? Are there examples where we doubt the accuracy of the historical record?
This statement has been heavy on my mind lately. How do historians ensure historical accuracy in the face of victors? Are there examples where we doubt the accuracy of the historical record?
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> This statement has been heavy on my mind lately.
Victor has a way of doing that to people.
> How do historians ensure historical accuracy in the face of victors?
By consulting losers and unaffiliated third and fourth parties.
> Are there examples where we doubt the accuracy of the historical record?
The whole thing. Not just any specific incident or period. All of it. Yes. All of it.
See, the problem with history is that it deals with humans. And humans are complicated, and they further have complicated motivations, and are put into complicated situations.
The answer to all this complicatedness is simple. They’re lying to you. All of them. All the time. Everyone is. Including me. You just got to deal with it. One thing you have to realise about history is that everyone everywhere is lying to everyone about everything, every time.
Just like restaurant kitchens have to deal with fire and sharp objects, history has to deal with this hazard. It bears repeating: Every last human being ever born is a lying liar who lies. And even beyond that, humans are fallible, stupid, blinkered, and biased. The problem is that…history deals with humans. It’s created by humans, studied by humans, learned by humans, told by humans, for human purposes. People have lied out loud, they’ve lied in writing, and they’ve lied in stone carvings. (What, you thought the Behistun Inscription was 100% true? If so, I’ve got a bridge in Minecraft I’m willing to sell you.)
Fortunately, there is such a thing as the historical method, the same way as there is a scientific method. Here are some previous threads for you to consider: