Volume VIII – Number I
Michael A. Weinstein
Abstract: Politics and history cross paths more often than most disciplines. History is used as a political tool, and the story that history tells is dependent on the politics of the time. Because they are so interdependent on one another, it is important to understand the effect of historical consciousness on politics and political decision making. Historical consciousness is the both the relationship between the pronouns “we” and “they” in a person’s worldview, as well as the relationship between space and time. The author describes the concept of historical consciousness as having gone through three major phases: traditional consciousness, modern consciousness, and post-modern consciousness. In traditional consciousness, space and time are unified, but not uniform. Modern consciousness introduces disharmony and introduces the roles of the metaphorical missionary and anthropologist. The missionary relates each of his roles in the world to his own worldview, while the anthropologist uses rational thought to maximize personal gratification. In modern consciousness, the institution of the traditional consciousness is replaced by the organization as the primary form that human action is based upon. Finally, post-modern consciousness is borne out of the contradictions of modern consciousness, and is a negation of modern consciousness as a whole. Each of these forms of consciousness are essential in understanding what is needed to make a “perfect” post-modern political decision maker.
Keywords: Philosophy, Theory, History, Historical Consciousness
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