History 241 notes Jan 13, 2009

Western civilization Beginning western civilization in the East, Western civ, vs. world civ. Western civ begins in east, pre-holocaust, illusion of objectivity, traditionally triumphalism, World civ, begins in east post modern, political correctedness, recognition of many view points and voices. Why West civ in the east? Voltaire-admired Egyptian civ. Ramses II- postmodern shift/ or linguistic turn- WWII holocaust, history no longer seen as progress towards better things. Questioned everything: history, gender, language, etc.. Post modern figures that did this- Foucault, Butler, Derrida Butler questioned words such s women believed it had more than one meaning. Foucault, individual response to a socially constructed apparatus, argued the actions that we make not because of our personality but by the world we grow up in decided that we will be. Didn?t believe we were clean slates, said we do things later on because of how we grew up. The challenge- this goes back to Holocaust. The Germans were not bad people not the only ones responsible for what happened. Individually exists but is limited. West. Civ. Not the best civ on earth not though this anymore. Due to post modernism. Black Athena- Martin Bernal is ?western Cvi? a racist concept? Cultural imperialism Challenged the idea that Egypt should be part of western civ. Thought that the Greek copied Egypt?s idea 1900?s people suppressed true beginners of western cib. Major course theme. History is dialogued between past and present. Debates about the past reflect modern preoccupation. History is more than a story. Hayden white-matahistory, history contains narrative elements. History contains narrative elements, history therefore not real Serious play-Victor turner- liminality- casted out of society neither boy nor men. Mikhail Baktin-rebelious carnival Clifford Geertz- Culture as meaningful More to a cock fight then pleasure richer people are closer to ring. Etc. Allergory of the cave Plato, the matrix, postmodernism.