Anachronism and the rewriting of history: the South Africa case
The use and abuse of anachronism is often seen as the quintessence of the writing of history. Historians tend to conceive it as the hardcore of their métier to avoid anachronism. It designates a confusion in order of time, especially the mistake of placing an event, attitude, or circumstance too ear...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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AOSIS
2006-04-01
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| Series: | The Journal for Transdisciplinary Research in Southern Africa |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.td-sa.net/index.php/td/article/view/314 |
| _version_ | 1818949838121730048 |
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| author | Georgi Verbeeck |
| author_facet | Georgi Verbeeck |
| author_sort | Georgi Verbeeck |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The use and abuse of anachronism is often seen as the quintessence of the writing of history. Historians tend to conceive it as the hardcore of their métier to avoid anachronism. It designates a confusion in order of time, especially the mistake of placing an event, attitude, or circumstance too early. The awareness of historical anachronism is omnipresent in times of a radical rewriting of history, in particular as a result of political transformation. History reflects the needs and ambitions of a political context, and the sense of what is deemed historically significant does not remain unattached hereby. Chronology and anachronism are essential to particular conceptions of history, and if history is in a process of being rewritten, they are the first items to be addressed by the defenders of the old system and the advocates of a new discourse. In political debates on the use or abuse of history anachronism is often seen as ultimate proof of the (un-)reliability of new insights and conceptions. As anachronism is defined as a way of transferring contemporary sets of values, assumptions and interpretative categories, every political reorientation inevitably provokes a discussion on that level. If a ‘new nation’ is in search of a ‘new past’, a new reflection on the basic categories of historical thinking becomes necessary. The changing discourses in South African historiography since the end of Apartheid serve here as an illuminative example. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T09:09:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-17643e8b97ad4d68801875337087befd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1817-4434 2415-2005 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T09:09:03Z |
| publishDate | 2006-04-01 |
| publisher | AOSIS |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Journal for Transdisciplinary Research in Southern Africa |
| spelling | doaj.art-17643e8b97ad4d68801875337087befd2022-12-21T19:45:38ZengAOSISThe Journal for Transdisciplinary Research in Southern Africa1817-44342415-20052006-04-012110.4102/td.v2i1.314295Anachronism and the rewriting of history: the South Africa caseGeorgi Verbeeck0University of PretoriaThe use and abuse of anachronism is often seen as the quintessence of the writing of history. Historians tend to conceive it as the hardcore of their métier to avoid anachronism. It designates a confusion in order of time, especially the mistake of placing an event, attitude, or circumstance too early. The awareness of historical anachronism is omnipresent in times of a radical rewriting of history, in particular as a result of political transformation. History reflects the needs and ambitions of a political context, and the sense of what is deemed historically significant does not remain unattached hereby. Chronology and anachronism are essential to particular conceptions of history, and if history is in a process of being rewritten, they are the first items to be addressed by the defenders of the old system and the advocates of a new discourse. In political debates on the use or abuse of history anachronism is often seen as ultimate proof of the (un-)reliability of new insights and conceptions. As anachronism is defined as a way of transferring contemporary sets of values, assumptions and interpretative categories, every political reorientation inevitably provokes a discussion on that level. If a ‘new nation’ is in search of a ‘new past’, a new reflection on the basic categories of historical thinking becomes necessary. The changing discourses in South African historiography since the end of Apartheid serve here as an illuminative example.http://www.td-sa.net/index.php/td/article/view/314Anachronism, historiography, Afrikaner nationalism, South Africa, philosophy of history, apartheid |
| spellingShingle | Georgi Verbeeck Anachronism and the rewriting of history: the South Africa case The Journal for Transdisciplinary Research in Southern Africa Anachronism, historiography, Afrikaner nationalism, South Africa, philosophy of history, apartheid |
| title | Anachronism and the rewriting of history: the South Africa case |
| title_full | Anachronism and the rewriting of history: the South Africa case |
| title_fullStr | Anachronism and the rewriting of history: the South Africa case |
| title_full_unstemmed | Anachronism and the rewriting of history: the South Africa case |
| title_short | Anachronism and the rewriting of history: the South Africa case |
| title_sort | anachronism and the rewriting of history the south africa case |
| topic | Anachronism, historiography, Afrikaner nationalism, South Africa, philosophy of history, apartheid |
| url | http://www.td-sa.net/index.php/td/article/view/314 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT georgiverbeeck anachronismandtherewritingofhistorythesouthafricacase |