Chapter 1: The Power in the Story Trouillot mentions how we participate in history both as actors and narrators. For him, history means both 'what happened' and 'what is said to have happened'. The former suggests the sociohistorical process, while the latter speaks about our knowledge of that process. He further mentions how there are... Continue Reading →
A (history) museum is definitely an interesting place to examine. Putting it simply, every artifact and painting is neatly placed to form a narrative of a historical story. The lighting, the colors, the music, the labels, the orientation of showcases etc. are methodically organized to create an atmosphere in which the observer not only learns... Continue Reading →
Hannah Arendt writes in her book On Revolution: Quite apart from the threat of total annihilation, which conceivably could be eliminated by new technical discoveries such as a ‘clean’ bomb or an antimissile missile, there are a few signs pointing in this direction. There is first the fact that the seeds of total war developed... Continue Reading →
It is time to turn back to the pages of History and observe an Ottoman Sultan (Emperor) which I had known little about in the past and whom I now find extremely fascinating given the fact that his name is diminished by the potency and the success of his predecessors. Abdülaziz, the 32nd (5th from... Continue Reading →
Moralism is the practice of moralizing, or the tendency to judge others' morality. So, although "moralism" sounds innocent because it seemingly has to do with ethics and morals, it could be considered as a plaster that censors political thought. And form my observations, this woeful case is very relevant today. Whenever people try to judge... Continue Reading →
