Historical Materialism is the idea that it’s the concrete conditions that tend to be the driving force in history; the geography, the distribution of resources, the ability (or lack thereof) to meet people’s physical needs like water food and shelter. If you want to understand a given history, starting there will give you a far clearer understanding of how and why historical figures and peoples act the way they do. It’s not the be-all-end-all, but it is the terrain on which all other factors must play out.
An Idealist framing of history emphasizes the beliefs and outlooks of people, what and how they think. It’s an important consideration for any historical analysis, but (at least in the english speaking world, can’t comment on anywhere else) it gets over prioritized. If you got an education in the US, you might recognize this in the way our local history is told as though it’s the story of democracy itself, beginning as an idea and emerging into the world to shape it.
Thank you. I’m sorry, I should have been more specific: Who is being mocked here? Is the author of this article esposuing an idealist perspective? I didn’t think so when I read it, but I might be missing something
no it’s my fault for riffing while drunk. it was a reaction purely to the phrase “Mineral Warfare”, which made me laugh and I started imagining a liberal trying to find a metals rulebook and asking to speak to the manager of tungsten
when a historical idealist tries to figure out why the world keeps being so historical materialist
Could you explain this? I don’t understand
Historical Materialism is the idea that it’s the concrete conditions that tend to be the driving force in history; the geography, the distribution of resources, the ability (or lack thereof) to meet people’s physical needs like water food and shelter. If you want to understand a given history, starting there will give you a far clearer understanding of how and why historical figures and peoples act the way they do. It’s not the be-all-end-all, but it is the terrain on which all other factors must play out.
An Idealist framing of history emphasizes the beliefs and outlooks of people, what and how they think. It’s an important consideration for any historical analysis, but (at least in the english speaking world, can’t comment on anywhere else) it gets over prioritized. If you got an education in the US, you might recognize this in the way our local history is told as though it’s the story of democracy itself, beginning as an idea and emerging into the world to shape it.
just strikes me as “this can’t mean that material conditions drive history, it must be because the tungsten spirit is angry with us”
Thank you. I’m sorry, I should have been more specific: Who is being mocked here? Is the author of this article esposuing an idealist perspective? I didn’t think so when I read it, but I might be missing something
no it’s my fault for riffing while drunk. it was a reaction purely to the phrase “Mineral Warfare”, which made me laugh and I started imagining a liberal trying to find a metals rulebook and asking to speak to the manager of tungsten
ha