History is an area of knowledge that plays a momentous role in our quest for knowledge. It is said that out future is built on the pillars of the past, and that in order we have a glorious future we need to unravel the past layer by layer. History gives us a keen insight into what happened in the past and opens new avenues and dimensions so that the mistakes of the past may not be repeated in the future. Can it be said for sure that history won’t repeat itself? We have knowledge that the most fateful wars in the past were caused by the whims and egos of individuals. Some wanted to deify their race while others their domination. And today we understand that it was human foible only that led the dictators amass more power as no one dared to stop them. Emotions help us to understand history minutely. The researchers and historians have deep knowledge of the past because they feel the force of knowledge through the power of their emotions along with other ways of knowing. Since history is deep buried under the recesses of the earth, a historian has to rely on other tools as well: experience, imagination and others sources: primary and secondary. This is the reason it is said that history is part myth part reality and part hope. No history can be a true replica of what had really happened as it is written by a human who can be easily misled by bias, prejudice, discrimination and deliberate motivation. We have had several accounts of the thirty-year war that was waged in the Holy Roman city between 1618 and 1648. It is not surprising to find that the Catholic Historians eulogized their warriors while the protestant ones sang accolades to their martyrs. And we do not still know who were the real heroes of the war: the catholic or the protestant warriors!
But what will happen if a historian writes his journal influenced solely by his emotions. Will he be able to do justice with the historical accounts? No. I hope not. In the absence of any concrete evidence as to what really transpired ages ago the historian can take a number of liberties, and distort the facts to his ease and convenience. In the field of history emotions can play a detrimental role as they can lead us astray easily because the claims of the historians may not be based upon evidence. The reason: the historian may follow an emotional approach contrasting the cognitive approach that is based upon information, analysis and knowledge formation.
In IGCSE I read the “ Iliad” written by Homer, and I was deeply impressed by the character of the Trojan prince Hector, the tamer of the horses. I was so captivated by his sense of duty and his love for the mother county Troy that I set more value to his character than the real hero Achilles’. Why? Simply, because I felt emotionally more attached to a real warrior than an egotistic warrior who fought only to annihilate others, and embellish his indisputable record as a belligerent combatant. I know I was wrong but I could not help it. Emotions are such feelings that can be affected by our beliefs. I feet history is a field of knowledge where emotions can get the better of reason, and hence create a superficial gulf between realty and appearance. No historian is equipped with the shied of Achilles, which is impenetrable to the arrows of bias, racism, and prejudice.
What do we feel when we see a spider? The very image of the spider fills us with an emotion of disgust and within twinkling of a second we kill it although we know that it is not a tarantula. This is psychology. Even in infants there is an emotional presence; they cry and laugh without having been taught to do so. Emotions are an inborn part of human psyche. It is the emotional power of the child that he learns to smile to its mother although it is poles apart from other ways of knowing: reason, language and perception. Emotions also make us inclined to rectitude by preventing us from committing morally reprehensible actions such as feelings of guilt and shame. The psychopaths lack these emotional responses and as a result are transformed into beasts. Devoid of such emotions they “engage in immoral acts, show a callous lack of concern for the others and lack the capacities for guilt, remorse and empathy.” Thus emotions play a vital role in human psychology. People who are perfect strangers fall in love at first sight because sometimes “like emotions attract”. And it is on account of these ubiquitous emotions that we earmark others beforehand. For example we believe that mothers and nurses are very emotional while soldiers and butchers are insensitive.
What will happen if we study human sciences from an emotional bent of mind? I think it will lead us into a chaotic world. Not all soldiers are tyrants nor are all mothers caring. We have example of Sophocles’ Medea who kills all her children to avenge her pride. And we have examples of capitalist that were filled with the milk of human kindness. Remember Oscar Schindler!
Emotions are very important in the development of one’s individuality but a person cannot be considered a sum total of his emotions. What happens if a judge uses his emotions while dealing with a hardcore convict? A man has to overcome his emotions and use his reason, a contrasting force to emotion. In the opinion of Sigmund Freud- repressed emotions are responsible in the patients suffering from amnesia and hysteria. The emotional crises they pass through make them feel” as if life has become intolerable and the only way of coping is to cease to be themselves, at least temporarily.” Emotions can also make a person very impulsive, passionate and violent. In my country recently there has been a spree of honor killing. There have been reported numerous incidents wherein the lovers were burned alive by their parents as their love appeared against the norms to the parents.
Human beings are a gregarious people. They cannot stand alone without a society. They imitate one another without testing their actions on the anvil of reason. What happens when youngsters want to undergo emotional euphoria by taking drugs under peer pressure? Whether they are youngsters or the orthodox parents, during their emotional outbursts they even forget what they are doing. Social emotions make them change colors like the chameleon, and imitate the actions that are followed and practiced by others, howsoever irrational they are.
To draw some conclusions from the above discussion I feel that although emotions are very important in our decision making and understanding the things around us, we cannot attribute them with a life force. They are neither the precursor nor the guiding light to our pursuit of knowledge. We cannot trust them wholly when it comes to history and psychology. In fact they cannot stand alone aloof from the other ways of knowing. Despite a number of knowledge claims such as “, we must not forget “A fool expresses all his emotions, but a wise person controls them.” It is important to control our emotions. If we don’t control them they will control our reason. They are important but their trustworthiness and impeccability in our pursuit of knowledge are questionable whether they are for me or someone else. We must check them lest they should become mistaken judgments.
by
sc_rahulgrah (student)
