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Re: Unabashed fetish practitioner



 
Kim,
I'm not sure how rhetorical your question was, but it's the kind of query that gets my compulsive juices flowing (one graduate
course in historiography just adds fuel to the fire).

To my mind, humans - or at least a subspecies - are driven to understand as much about the human condition as possible. It
seems to be related to our fear of the unknown. Since we cannot know the future (at least our subspecies doubts this possible
with any certainty), and are usually doomed/fortunate to live in the present
where 'knowing' is transient at best, then that leaves only the past to inform us. And even though our view of the past is also
transient (because our point of reference - the present - constantly changes), it is the best we have.

Those of us who attended the RBMS Preconference in Washington two years ago spent an interesting morning at the Library
of Congress examining the question, "If we are unable to preserve all materials with historical value, then how do we identify
what will be of interest to researchers in the future?" The answer to this question would presumably allow us to better serve
researchers, our archives, and our civilization. This is a curious mixture of the past, present, and future. Perhaps the real reason
we had that provocative and exhilarating discussion had more to do with our own desires for a (false) sense of security than
any lofty, service-oriented goal.

Oops, I guess my own wind filled my sails. Thanks for the chance to divert  and delude my mind with a little episode of
'knowing' the unknown. Starts Friday off on an upbeat note.
Wayne Miller
Plattsburgh State U. of NY
 

From: 
        "Scott, Kim A." 




Why do people study/write/teach history?  What is the "value" of history?
Bfore you go spouting platitudes about being "doomed to repeat" and all
that, think about how one can honestly answer these questions. Unless I am
terribly mistaken, the answer is near the core of this current thread on our
beloved list.


I have no answer myself; I only know that I like it, and that others who
like it pay me to know about it and to find them materials that will help
them understand it.  They don't pay me to study the behavior patterns of
guys with leather elbow patches, the effect of subliminal messages on
reading room decorum, or the statistical analysis of retinal dilation
displayed by folks gazing at the Declaration of Independence.  I am glad
enough there are people who do these studies, just as much as I am glad that
I don't have to.

Kim (does not roll in historical documents, but does groove on them) Scott