Renegotiating the Value of Presentism

This project engages with the recent interest in presentism among historians and philosophers of history by 1) providing an overview of relevant intellectual history, 2) offering a comprehensive synthesis of current discourse around presentism, and 3) framing an original critique of the term. Presentism has conventionally had a negative connotation, since studying the past in light of the present can distort historical knowledge. Today, presentism is subjected to a significantly broader and more inclusive discourse. Building on the analysis of the latter, the project sheds light on how presentism manifests on a broader societal level. Considering initiatives to remove and revise problematic legacies of the past, it is argued that historical memory overly dominated by the present can lead to a simplifying and stagnant perception of history. In addition, presentism is explored as a temporal strategy that undermines long-term thinking particularly relevant in the age of the climate.