Reasons For Revisionism
Historical revisionism is conducted to influence a target’s ideology and/or politics for a particular purpose. Revisionists understand Plato’s dictum that, “those who tell the stories also hold the power.” Sometimes the purpose is as innocent as wanting to sell more books or attract attention with a startling headline. Often, however, that purpose is to achieve a nation’s aims by transferring war guilt, demonizing an enemy, providing an illusion of victory, or preserving friendship. James McPherson, President of the American Historical Association in 2003, wrote that some would want revisionist history understood as, “a consciously falsified or distorted interpretation of the past to serve partisan or ideological purposes in the present.” Broadly understood, there are two motivations behind revisionist history: the ability to control ideological influence and to control political influence.
Read more about this topic: Historical Revisionism (negationism)
Famous quotes containing the words reasons for and/or reasons:
“Youth does not require reasons for living, it only needs pretexts.”
—José Ortega Y Gasset (1883–1955)
“Write to the point: say immediately what you want to say most, even if it doesn’t “come first.” There are three reasons for doing this. First, you will then have said it, even if nothing else gets said. Second, your readers will then have read it, even if they read no more. Third, having said it, you are likely to have to say something more, because you will have to explain and justify what you chose to say.”
—Bill Stott (b. 1940)