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Our Place in History
Mr. E (jackechs@EROLS.COM)
Sat, 24 Feb 1996 13:49:25 -0500
Hello,
While most of the topics on the list so far have delt with the past and in
some instances the present, I do not recall anyone addressing the future.
Specifically, what are we doing to ensure that future anthropologists/
archeologists/historians have a clear picture of our lifetimes. Is it
something we should concern ourselves with?
I am currently reading "Hidden History: Exploring Our Secret Past" by
Daniel J. Boorstin, ISBN 0-679-72223-8. Dr. Boorstin mentions several
theories on what, why, who, where, etc. historical evidence remains for us
today to ponder.
Specifically:
"The Limits of Discovery: The Bias of Survivial"
"The Law of the Survival of the Unread"
"Survival of the Durable, and That Which is Not Removed or Displaced"
"Survival of the Collected and the Protected: What Goes in Government Files"
"Survival of Objects Which Are Not Used or Which Have a High Intrinsic Value"
"Survival of the Academically Classifiable and the Dignified"
"Survival of Printed and Other Materials Surrounding Controversies"
"Survival of the Self-Serving: the Psychopathology of Diarists and Letter
Writers"
"Survial of the Victorious Point of View: The Success Bias"
"Survival of the Epiphenomenal" and
"Knowledge Survives and Accumulates, but Ignorance Disappears"
What do we owe the future?
thank you for your time and space ... respectfully submitted,
Anthony Dean Dauer
"We have met the enemy, and he is us." Walt Kelly (1913-1973), Pogo
Copyright 1996 Anthony Dean Dauer. All rights reserved. Permission
it granted to repost or quote from the copyrighted material to members
of ANTHRO-L, ARCH-L, DOROTHY-L, FNORD-L, FORENSIC, HOUNDS-L, and WRITERS
to the listservs listed or in private mail with the author. However, no
permission is given to modify or otherwise to change the material in
question. All rights to quoted material remain with the orginator.
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