History, Empathy And Conflict: Heroes, Victims And Victimisers
by Philip Towle /
2018 / English / PDF
3.7 MB Download
This book argues that popular culture has been transformed in a
silent revolution from emphasising history’s heroes to its
victims. While city squares and stations were named in the
nineteenth century after military victories, now the equivalent
airports are named after the victims of violence. Where war
reports used to focus on the leadership of the generals and the
bravery of the troops, now they are mostly about casualties,
refugees and destruction.
This book argues that popular culture has been transformed in a
silent revolution from emphasising history’s heroes to its
victims. While city squares and stations were named in the
nineteenth century after military victories, now the equivalent
airports are named after the victims of violence. Where war
reports used to focus on the leadership of the generals and the
bravery of the troops, now they are mostly about casualties,
refugees and destruction.History, Empathy and Conflict
History, Empathy and Conflict
examines the diplomatic consequences of such a revolution in
sensibility. Many governments have responded by apologising for
their country’s historic actions. History teaching in schools has
sometimes been revised to reflect the new emphasis and to build
confidence between nations and respect for domestic minorities.
Not least of the reasons for these changes is the difficulty or
impossibility of making restitution for past wrongs. But history
can also be used by the media and governments to justify
intervention to protect victims of civil wars only to come to be
seen as victimisers themselves. The past is always difficult to
interpret but is the basis of all our decisions and all
institutions try to twist it to their own convenience.
Sympathy with history’s victims is a great moral advance but it
can be used by dissatisfied nations to justify their revisionist
policies and with the election of President Trump in 2016, all
the Great Powers claim to be history’s victims.
examines the diplomatic consequences of such a revolution in
sensibility. Many governments have responded by apologising for
their country’s historic actions. History teaching in schools has
sometimes been revised to reflect the new emphasis and to build
confidence between nations and respect for domestic minorities.
Not least of the reasons for these changes is the difficulty or
impossibility of making restitution for past wrongs. But history
can also be used by the media and governments to justify
intervention to protect victims of civil wars only to come to be
seen as victimisers themselves. The past is always difficult to
interpret but is the basis of all our decisions and all
institutions try to twist it to their own convenience.
Sympathy with history’s victims is a great moral advance but it
can be used by dissatisfied nations to justify their revisionist
policies and with the election of President Trump in 2016, all
the Great Powers claim to be history’s victims.
