Comments on: Claudé Levi-Strauss on History and Historians http://menachemmendel.net/blog/2009/11/03/claude-levi-strauss-on-history-and-historians/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=claude-levi-strauss-on-history-and-historians Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:07:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Harry Perkal http://menachemmendel.net/blog/2009/11/03/claude-levi-strauss-on-history-and-historians/comment-page-1/#comment-2307 Harry Perkal Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:15:17 +0000 http://menachemmendel.net/blog/?p=1968#comment-2307 I agree that Claude Levi-Strauss had some profound ideas about anthropology and history. Your quote about the impact on an individual of historical events is extremely intersting. You can see it everywhere. Just look at the impact history ( for good and evil ) have on nations and individuals.. As an example, one can see that in Jewish history with the destruction of the SEcond Temple, or even a recent event such as the Shaoah, still reverberates today on Jews. I just wish he wrote more clearly Are you sure he did die awhile ago? HarryP I agree that Claude Levi-Strauss had some profound ideas about anthropology and history. Your quote about the impact on an individual of historical events is extremely intersting. You can see it everywhere. Just look at the impact history ( for good and evil ) have on nations and individuals.. As an example, one can see that in Jewish history with the destruction of the SEcond Temple, or even a recent event such as the Shaoah, still reverberates today on Jews. I just wish he wrote more clearly Are you sure he did die awhile ago? HarryP

]]> By: Menachem Mendel http://menachemmendel.net/blog/2009/11/03/claude-levi-strauss-on-history-and-historians/comment-page-1/#comment-2291 Menachem Mendel Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:00:46 +0000 http://menachemmendel.net/blog/?p=1968#comment-2291 I am not sure if in 1962 when he first wrote these words it was so common to claim that historical writing is not objective and that historical facts are subject to interpretation and "picking and choosing." I was only in 1961 that Edward Hallett Carr wrote his influential book <i>What is History</i> in which he spoke about the subjective side of historical writing and the bias of historians. I think that his last paragraph is significant, that there is "a sub-set of events" that "have approximately the same significance for a contingent of individuals who have not necessarily experienced the events and may even consider them at an interval of several centuries." For Levi-Strauss history, at least according to his section, is the uncovering of what the human experience shares over time. I am not sure if in 1962 when he first wrote these words it was so common to claim that historical writing is not objective and that historical facts are subject to interpretation and “picking and choosing.” I was only in 1961 that Edward Hallett Carr wrote his influential book What is History in which he spoke about the subjective side of historical writing and the bias of historians.

I think that his last paragraph is significant, that there is “a sub-set of events” that “have approximately the same significance for a contingent of individuals who have not necessarily experienced the events and may even consider them at an interval of several centuries.” For Levi-Strauss history, at least according to his section, is the uncovering of what the human experience shares over time.

]]> By: Harry Perkal http://menachemmendel.net/blog/2009/11/03/claude-levi-strauss-on-history-and-historians/comment-page-1/#comment-2290 Harry Perkal Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:29:21 +0000 http://menachemmendel.net/blog/?p=1968#comment-2290 Gee- I thought he died a long time ago. I tried reading him in college about 40 years ago- he was unreadable than and from your excerpt he is still is. Something about history not being fully objective. What a shock. HarryP Gee- I thought he died a long time ago. I tried reading him in college about 40 years ago- he was unreadable than and from your excerpt he is still is. Something about history not being fully objective. What a shock. HarryP

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