What is History? | MPCafé with our students, October 2022

Silvana Quispetupa  | 25 de noviembre de 2022  | Vistas: 45

The Universidad Francisco Marroquín (UFM) presents the second MPCafé of the semester, featuring a group of students sharing their perspectives and ideas. To begin, Eileen Köhler welcomed everyone to the second MPCafé of the semester, introducing the day's topic: "What is history?"

History is the study of the cycles of power." — Matías Estrada

Matías Estrada began by exploring the "evolution of the mind," inspired by Darwin's theory, realizing that evolution aims for adaptation rather than perfection. He concluded that the mind's evolution began with the rise of civilizations three to four thousand years ago, which fostered art, science, and culture. Then, Javier Soto compared historians to watch collectors, arguing that both gather extensive background knowledge and focus on specific subjects they are passionate about. He emphasized that historians create a hierarchy of facts to support their interpretations, similar to how collectors focus on specific periods or types of watches.

History is not only about dates; it's about learning what is good or bad from past experiences." — José Javier Santos

Then, Camila Quesada initially believed history to be objective but learned that historians must create logical narratives from collected facts, which involves interpretation. Quesada concluded that history is a blend of objective facts and subjective interpretation, written with the "ink of the present," reflecting the historian's context and perspective for a richer understanding of historical events. Next, José Javier Santos shared his evolving perspective on history, initially seeing it as a collection of dates and events. Through studying Herodotus, he realized that history should include moral lessons.

History is subjective, shaped by our perspectives and biases." — Ana Isabel Castañeda

To continue, Ana Isabel Castañeda discussed the intersection of history and art, displaying a painting filled with eyes representing society, including historians who interpret facts through their perspectives. Ana suggested that history helps us cope with mortality by preserving collective memory, allowing for evolving interpretations over time. Ana Lucía Barrientos emphasized the role of historians in selecting and interpreting facts from numerous sources. While complete factual accuracy is unattainable, Barrientos suggested that historians should strive to convey the essence and emotions of past experiences responsibly.

In studying history, humans seek a return to what is eternal and perfect." — Eileen Köhler

Eileen Köhler closed the session, explaining that history's subjectivity arises from interpretation and temporal context. Contrasting the present as an eternal, unmeasurable instant with the epochs of past and future, she posited that humans study history to reconnect with eternal truths. Together, these presentations illustrated the multifaceted nature of history, encompassing moral lessons, subjective interpretations, and the quest for eternal truths.