The Best Concept of History

History is everything that has happened in the past. Everything that has happened in the past has affected the present, and will affect the future. History does not just include major events such as wars and treaties that you learn about in school. It includes the soldier that fired the first bullet during that revolution, and the idea that sprouted into someone’s head to create the Treaty of Versailles. Something that happened thirty seconds ago is history and will influence what happens to you in about thirty more seconds.

The concept of how time works can be confusing to many. How, can you tell the difference between the past, present, or future? Philosophers have been trying to figure out the concept of history and time for hundreds of years. Many are still puzzled by this mystery today. Over time however, different notions of how time works have been contemplated.

There are four different concepts of history; Linear, Cyclic, Hegelian, and Vortexual.

According to the linear concept of history, history is basically a straight line. It has a beginning and an end. In linear history there are no patterns or repeats just a straight story that will end eventually. There may be some events that make you think, “Wow, déjà vu”, but that would just be a feeling. The problem with this theory is that there have been times where something happens twice. For instance, there have been many treaties made, many famous people killed because of change, and slavery has occurred in different places at different times. The fact is that there are many patterns that have occurred in history, and they are bound to happen again. The linear concept does not apply to everyday life. It is simple and plain and the only way it can be proven is when the world eventually ends. There are many things that disprove it also, like the fact that there is a pattern to past events.

The cyclic concept of history states that history is just a cycle. This means that history is just a repetition of events that will be repeating themselves in the future. So, time began and since it is a cycle, history will repeat itself after a period of years. An example of this is a very current topic, Global Warming. The two arguments about global warming are that it is caused by humans, or that it is just a cycle. The cycle would be that eventually there will be another ice age, which would be proof of the ever present cycle. The thing that is wrong with this is that actual events have not been repeated exactly. What is needed to prove this theory is more time. Philosophers need more time to see if history will repeat itself, exactly, because so far it has not.

The Hegelian concept of history states that time is made up of a series of events and their results. The Hegelian concept was created by George Hegel who believed since two events produce a result, that result in turn can turn into an event. This concept is easy to understand and can be applied to everyday life.

Vortexual history indicates that events in history have started out big and then tunneled down into something small and then big again. It is easy to follow and actually does happen in everyday life. This concept can be traced through time. An example is Rome. Rome started out small, and then grew into the Roman Empire. After a period of time, the empire fell. Then, Europe was in the dark ages. After the dark ages Europe went through the Renaissance or The Golden Age. Basically, time has had its ups and its downs.

Out of all of these theories, the one that makes the most sense is the Hegelian theory. The Hegelian concept can be proven and applied to a lot of situations. It is really quite simple; one event, plus another event, equals a result. The result then becomes an event in itself and that plus another event generates another result. This continues on and is what has formed history and will continue to do so.

Some may find this complex, while it is simple. An easy example to follow would be that a home burns down. The fire would be classified as an event and a result. How is it a result? The fire is the result of two events. The first is that the owner of the home left the gas from their stove on. The second is that they have left a candle burning in the kitchen. How is the fire itself an event? The fire burns the house down which results in the person who owns the home to be homeless for awhile. This event plus another event will create yet another result. The events in that person’s life sum up their history and their future.

Real life is just a series of events and their results. Think about it, just waking up is the result of a series of events and will bring about another sequence of events. Look at major events in history such as assassinations, wars, and treaties. All of these were the results of someone's opinion or action. Major events in history have resulted in what happens in the present and what will happen in the future. An example of this in history is the series of events that sparked World War I and other major occurences. Archduke Ferdinand’s assassination set in motion a sequence of events that resulted in World War I. After the war the treaty of Versailles was written, and Germany suffered the most consequences. World War I, shaped Adolph Hitler’s opinion and Germany’s anger, and resulted in World War II. World War II brought about many deaths and a changed world. That is just an example, but there are many other examples in history. Hegel’s concept is better than the other concepts because it is more thought out.

The other arguments for how time works are clear, but do not always apply to life and time. Cyclic, linear, and Vortexual history cannot be seen every day. Hegelian history can be, as it is truly the story of our everyday lives.

citation: "Dominoe Cascade." commons wikimedia. Web. 28 Jan 2010. .