Pseudohistory
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Pseudohistory describes claims about the past, which purport to be historic or supported by archeology, but which depart from standard practices of historical method and historiography to reach conclusions outside the domain of mainstream history. Pseudohistory may be called the analog of pseudoscience.
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Description
Mainstream historians and archeologists work according to established standards of academic research. They publish peer reviewed journals. They debate each other on many matters yet they agree about what constitutes legitimate research methods.
Pseudohistory exists outside that mainstream. It can take many forms but usually follows familiar patterns. Rarely does it go the route of peer reviewed publication. A person who engages in pseudohistory typically makes a direct appeal to the public. Citations will be absent, inadequate, or unreliable. Pseudohistory does not do justice to mainstream interpretations.
Pseudohistory involves the inappropriate treatment of source material. It typically reflects the effort to justify a foregone conclusion. Pseudohistory often inflates the importance of a few unreliable sources while ignoring mountains of contradictory evidence. Pseudohistory may pull irrelevant facts out of context. Pseudohistory may distort the meaning of legitimate source material. Pseudohistory sometimes manufactures fraudulent evidence. It may blend real history with myth, legend, or rumor.
Many people who engage in pseudohistory are sincere in their beliefs. They may believe the surviving body of evidence gives a false picture of the truth. They may have drawn their views from a body of fringe literature. They may be ignorant of proper historical method. They may understand academic standards but regard certain events as exempt from that analysis. Conspiracy theories are a popular theme for pseudohistory. Pseudohistory sometimes serves a political, nationalist, or religious agenda.
Whether a particular view constitutes pseudohistory or not is often a controversial topic. Following are some commonly-cited examples of pseudohistory.
Chronology
- Immanuel Velikovsky, most notable for his book Worlds in Collision
- Anatoly Timofeevich Fomenko's "New Chronology"
- Heribert Illig
Places
- Atlantis : A legendary ancient island, whose existence and location have never been confirmed.
- Sannikov Land : a phantom warm island in the Arctic Ocean.
People
- Aryan race : Imperialist and nationalistic ideas which evolved into belief in a "master race" of people of northern European descent.
- Black Athena : A theory providing pseudo-scientific acclamations, regarding the roots of ancient Greek and Egyptian civilizations. It is often presented as an expression of the extreme views of Afrocentrism. It sometimes goes as far as proclaiming blatant racist claims that the ancient Greeks did not have the native ability to develop philosophy and that the Egyptians, from whom the Greeks allegedely stole their philosophy, were black Africans.
- Epsilon Team : An urban legend about a probably entirely imaginary secret pro-Hellenic society.
- Priory of Sion : An elusive protagonist in many works of both non-fiction and fiction; Characterised as anything from the most influential secret society to a modern Rosicrucian-esque ludibrium.
- Yakub the Scientist (Nation of Islam): According to Nation of Islam theology, white people were created by the evil scientist Yakub as a "race of devils." As asserted by NOI founder Wallace Fard Muhammad, white people are destined to rule the world for six thousand years until the "Original Black Peoples" of the world regain dominance, a process which began in 1914.
Events
- Deep England : A mythological, idyllic, and pastoral way of life that the lucky inhabitants of England allegedly enjoyed at some poorly-defined point between the Middle Ages and the completion of the Industrial Revolution.
- Holocaust denial : Claims of a small group of amateur and academic historians who argue that the Holocaust, as known to history, is highly exaggerated.
- Apollo moon landing hoax accusations: Proponents of these accusations allege that the United States Apollo moon landings never took place, and were faked by NASA with possible CIA support.
Religious Texts and Archaeology
In the field of archaeology, many attempt to find evidence to verify events or the existence of people in scripture such as the Bible. Examples include the James Ossuary and the recent discovery of what is purported to be the palace of David. Others claim to have found the final location of Noah's ark or the burial tomb of Jesus or other Bible figures.
See also
External links
- Carroll, Robert Todd, "Pseudohistory". Skeptic's Dictionary
- Allchin, Douglas, "Pseudohistory and Pseudoscience". Program in the History of Science and Technology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis MN, USA.
- "The Restoration of History". Skeptic Magazine.
