Gods and Monsters: The Scientific Method Applied to the Human Condition - Book II
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Chapter 12:
Various theories of the historical reality and of its evolution
The philosopher Antonio Santucci, had noted that the term: history, indicates both the historical knowledge, how much the structural reality, in its evolution (1). Hegel had suggested the use of the term “History” only for the historiography. The question still seems, to still, unresolved. If history can be understood, also, as: the structural reality historic, a historiography really scientific, will be the one that gives account, at least with a certain approximation, of the evolution of the universe structural statual, and it provides the precognition, on the broad lines and probabilistically, the concrete evolution, in the future.
The philosophers of the history of the idealist tendency, accuse the determinists of the alleged hypocrisy, anti-scientific, of seeking confirmation of their thesis, at any cost. They argue that historians determinist identify the significant events, with the exclusive interest to have confirmation of their thesis: “What facts are significant becomes the problem to indicate what facts confirm the hypothesis” (2). This argument is valid if the facts were perpetually contradictory or uncertain. This accusation of anti-scientificity hides their ideological intent and destructive of any attempt to achieve a knowledge scientifically founded of the human condition.
It is, now, generally acknowledged the autonomy of the cultural evolution, and therefore, structural, from biological one. Autonomy which, of course, does not exclude the analogy. In general, it is recognized as the structural evolution has occurred by causes unconscious and, often, external to the society itself (3).
Comte stated that the various “historical epochs” are mutually concatenated and stated ,in this regard, that “every phase is born from the previous and produces the next” (4). Some historians talk about "filiation” between the clienteles of the “ancient society” and the vassallage (5). But all this does not explain the dynamics of the evolution of the universe structural statual and, much less, its causes.
Michel Foucoult, with the structuralists, had recognized the unconsciousness and determination, to which it is subject to the historical man. Claimed to be the task of the historic, make known the mechanisms of reality, making possible its overcoming (6).
Charles Renouvier had deplored, at the beginning of the twentieth century, “the utopia of progress that prevented to discern the evil”. The culture of the XX century, in some of its manifestations in which was not succubus the ideologies anti-democratic, such as: the “Marxism”, “fundamentalism Christian”, the “Islamism”, or other religious conceptions, had identified, yet, the history with the progress, and had enclosed the meaning of the history, into the together of the: structural reality, scientific progress and cognitive, in general (7).
Bloch, in order to corroborate the conception of history, as a succession of events constantly progressives, stated that the servitude is progressive with respect to slavery, since more profitable would be the work of the servants, with respect to that of slaves. For this reason, according to him, to slavery is followed the servitude (8). Since that from the servitude is not followed a generalized return to slavery, he it inferred the confirmation of the theory of the continuous progress of history (9). This is a case of interpretation, subject to the ideology, of an analysis of the history, although based, in part, on scientific criteria.
John Bury had stated that the cyclical conception of history, diffused by the stoicism, has constituted an obstacle to the formation of the idea of progress, at the age of the feudal phase of the “Middle Ages” and of the “Renaissance”. In reality, the feudal phase, for the its very nature, he does not admit the possibility of the theory of progress, since its dominant culture must proclaim the insuperability of existing society, until the end of time, less than undermining the very foundations of the feudal society (10). In fact, only in the XII century of vulgar era (e.v.) is re-emerged the concept of historicity. This happened for the work by Gilberto Porretano (11). The rebirth of this concept demonstrates how in the feudal phases you are free by any knowledge of history or of historicity.
With the various theories “socialist” are disappeared: the theory of indefinite progress and voluntary. This latter is characteristic of the various theories “liberal”, to make room for at a idea of progress, having as a goal the “socialism” itself, with the abolition of the historical dynamism (12), in perfect analogy with the feudal culture “medieval”, at demonstration of his true nature: a wire-feudal ideology.