The Future of History and the Legacy of the Twentieth Century: Viewpoint

TheFuture ofHistory andtheLegacy ofthe Twentieth Century Tn VIEWPOINT by Uwaheth Fox-Ccncvcsc .ypically, the close ofa millennium—in the measure that we may claim even vicarious experience in these matters—seems likely to prompt a range ofpredictions andfantasies, and the close ofthe second has had more in common with the close ofthefirst than the differences between their respective levels oftechnological sophistication might have led one to expect. The most dramatic oflate second millennialfantasies havefocused upon Y2K and theprobable disruptions that, in the worst-case scenario, might have exposed us to terrorist attack and reduced us to survivalist living conditions. Y2Kproved a non-event, and life in thefirst months ofthe new era seems to be proceeding as mindlessly as in the last month ofthe old. One late second millennial speculation, which shouldpresumably be ofspecial concern to the members of The Historical Society, seemed to sink through the cracks as more dramatic speculations took center stage, namely, that in thefinal decade ofthe twentieth century we had reached the end ofhistory. Francis Pukuvama, who advanced this proposition , argued that we were entering an era in which historv. understood in I legel's sense as the unfolding conflict between antagonisms—thesis and antithesis—had come to an end. giving way to a synthesis, in which "normal" life dominates everything, leaving no great store to tell. With the advantage of a few years' hindsight, it is clear that, far from disappearing, conflict has been experiencing a rather ominous renaissance . Ixith among states and within them. It would be a rash soul who, in the face ol Kosovo, Chechnva. the Sudan, and Columbine High School, pronounced the death of historv as the unfolding succession of conflicts. The world of the war 2(HK) and beyond shows every indication of providing us with Conflict in abundance, and our real challenge more properly lies in understanding and containing it than in speculating about its imminent demise. If conflict affords the indispensable raw ingredient of historv. historians have scant justification for worrying aboul its end. Bm it the presence of conflict is taken to be necessary to the continuing vitality of historv. we may err in assuming it to Insufficient . One of the salient characteristics of our world lies in its ability to generate an endless succession of conflicts that. arguable, arc about nothing at all. From computer games to the endless rivalries of cliques and gangs, conflicts surround us. but their prevalence docs not ipso facto prove that they are abou anything or even that thev haw a point. Imagine that conflict has simph become a way of passing the time in a world so devoid of meaning as to oiler no more inspiring option. Conflict as the antidote to boredom? Conflict as boredom, with boredom understood as the mind-numbing absence ol conviction or purpose? Or, as Eric Hobsbawm has disc|uietinglv suggested, conflict as the return to a barbarism proscribed bv civilized S(X-RtU-S tor many centuries? continued on page S From the Executive Director by Louis A. Ferleger This year we are fortunate to have four outstanding Boston University students working in the central office. When hired by Jeff Vanke in January of 1999, Patrick McCafferty's job description noted that his duties might vary, and vary they have. He single-handedly managed all registrations for our first National Convention. Ironically, this child of the eighties is the senior member of the office staff, having preceded both the Associate and Executive Director. While originally from Philadelphia, he enjoys life in Boston. Patrick is pursuing a finance concentration at Boston University, with the ambitious goal of a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in only three years. He hopes one day to work as a mutual fund portfolio manager. Sarah Abbott is a sophomore history major at Boston University specializing in European intellectual and cultural history. Last fall she was immersed in an intensive study of Russian intellectual history and literature focusing on the ideas of Fyodor Dostoyevsky, and prepared a research paper on his impressions of the Crystal Palace. When not befuddled by Dostoyevsky's metaphysics, Sarah enjoys studying French language and literature, taking walks around Boston, and of course, working at The...