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Why do we glorify horrible people from the distant past? (sh.itjust.works)

submitted 2 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Julius Ceasar, Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan and many more...

These people had beliefs and worldviews that were so horribly, by today's standards, that calling them fascist would be huge understatement. And they followed through by committing a lot of evil.

Aren't we basically glorifying the Hitlers of centuries past?

I know, historians always say that one should not judge historical figures by contemporary moral standards. But there's a difference between objectively studying history and actually glorifying these figures.

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

Ignoring the insult, we're talking about Medieval times. They were famously awful to live in for everyone. I'm pretty sure the vast majority of readers won't think I'm suggesting anything about that period should be replicated in the modern day, unless I explicitly say that.

To be totally clear, I don't want to bring the Mongol empire back in 2024.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

You're missing the point entirely. The person I was originally responding too was saying that evan though awful things were done to people it's fine, or justifiable because "millions" benefited from them. If you don't understand how something like that at its base level can be applicable to modern times, that's a you issue.

It's not the specific actions taken or the setting/environment, but the attitude of the ends justifying the means if there's a net positive.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

No leader in that period is a good example of the ends justifying the means, all being self-serving feudal lords, but if that's the lesson you draw, I actually do agree with the concept. That's how every military action is justified, unless you're a pacifist.

I chimed in because OP was replying to support what I said, so I figured it was all the same discussion. I suppose I wouldn't go as far as saying you can't judge Genghis Khan, but I would say it's not very useful to use modern standards when that basically makes any historical figure dead by 1950 a bastard one way or the other.