Report writing on the topic referenced to BOOK THE PHILOSOPHY BIG IDEAS SIMPLY EXPLAINED Discover more at www.dk.com

1. HISTORY DOES NOT BELONG TO US BUT WE BELONG TO IT
SUMMARY
We are going to go through the form of philosophy: hermeneutics which is deeply discussed
by a German philosopher. It is all about how human interpret the universe, what are their
understanding level and how their understanding change after getting deepen in historical
knowledge. What kind of change came after getting more clarity about things?
More we discuss it through some example of Gadamer and try to develop clearer picture
about how we belong to history.
INTRODUCTION
“HISTORY DOES NOT BELONG TO US BUT WE BELONG TO IT” written by German
philosopher HANS-GEORG GADAMER (1900–2002) in the Philosophy Book_Big Ideas
Simply Explained. He is associated in particular with one form of philosophy:
“hermeneutics”. Derived from the Greek word hermeneuo, meaning “interpret”, this is the
study of how humans interpret the world. Gadamer studied philosophy under Martin
Heidegger, who said that the task of philosophy is to interpret our existence. This
interpretation is always a process of deepening our understanding by starting from what we
already know. The process is similar to how we might interpret a poem. We start by reading
it carefully in the light of our present understanding. If we come to a line that seems strange
or particularly striking, we might need to reach for a deeper level of understanding. As we
interpret individual lines, our sense of the poem as a whole might begin to change; and as our
sense of the poem as a whole changes, so might our understanding of individual lines. This is
known as the “hermeneutic circle.”
WE UNDERSTAND THE WORLD THROUGH INTERPRETATION
Understanding about anything depend on the present knowledge of the particular thing. Our
present knowledge is depend on the particular interpretation which belong to a particular
historical era which give us a particular prejudices and biases. Prejudices means our
preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience. So in the human

2. interpretation world is the surroundings of his own circle which expand and deepening time
to time when human explore things and face such a circumstances through which his
understanding might start changing and making new understanding which might be shift his
previous interpretations.
WHAT IS HISTORY?
The entire sequences of past events connected with a particular person or thing. Actually if
we analyses history like what are we experiencing new or what is happening new in our
surroundings it already happened in a history just we have to relate it with a particular time,
place or specific event.
History can be a remarkable story, a rolling narrative complete with great characters and tales
of turmoil and triumph. Each passing generation adds its own chapters to our history while
reinterpreting and discover new things in those chapters already written.
The word “history” and the English word “story” both originate from the Latin historia,
meaning a narrative or account of past events. And if we break it in two words eventually it
become His-Story. The previous story sprung in any new life story which can be easily relate
to that previous story and it can be also helpful to not repeat any mistake or take lessons to
improvise current story.
WHAT IS MEAN BY YOU?
You is entirely mean by own self which consider as an identity of a personhood or a personal
identity or individual identity. The self is sometimes understood as a unified being essentially
connected to consciousness, awareness, and agency (or, at least, with the faculty of rational
choice). Various theories on the metaphysical nature of the self-have been proposed. Among
them, the metaphysical nature of the self has been proposed to be that of an immaterial
substance.
As per metaphysics a person knowledge deeply discussed in (Ontology) the branch of
metaphysics in which the study of being existence discussed. A person exist with its
consciousness about happening around his surroundings, closely aware about the event

3. happening or going to be happened or happened in the past. Thought process also discuss
how a person observe this reality in which he is living, those all parts which he feel, deal and
becoming itself the part of that particular moments.
OUR EXISTENCE
In this universe human how to believe on existence? By observing current situations
happening around his surroundings. The existence also prove through historical knowledge
which give an experience by relating it to our own situations.
Existence also prove through physical presence of anything which can be accessible via any
medium of senses. Through unified science anyone can be explore or explain the mean of
existence because it is the only way from where reality initiate. The smallest sub-atom can
prove its existence through its physical identification which can easily understandable form
of reality that also give its experience of existence.
Where we are discussing about experiencing the smallest part of universe, human existence is
already prove through sub-atom. Human is the divine creation which can experience through
its consciousness, awareness and alertness about their surroundings.
IS IT TRUE THAT WE BELONG TO HISTORY?
Gadamer sees the process of understanding our lives and our-selves as similar to having a
“conversation with history.” As we read historical texts that have existed for centuries, the
differences in their traditions and assumptions reveal our own cultural norms and prejudices,
leading us to broaden and deepen our understanding of our own lives in the present. For
instance, if I pick up a book by Plato, and read it carefully, I might find not only that I am
deepening my understanding of Plato, but also that my own prejudices and biases become
clear, and perhaps begin to shift. Not only am I reading Plato, but Plato is reading me.
Through this dialogue, or what Gadamer calls “the fusion of horizons”, my understanding of
the world reaches a deeper, richer level.
History just not only enlighten events but also alert about those lessons through which human
can improvise their life as well more survive in the upcoming modern era. If we particularly

4. match our life values, norms and living methodology, we can easily plot inch by inch our live
moments to the history which eventually help out to not repeating those mistakes which
history did.
The phrase “history repeat itself” is also recognize that human belong to history and repeat
those events which they are not aware about. Sometimes they aware but don’t want to miss
that chance of experiencing that thing by their own-self which make another repeated history.
Human need to understand about those lessons which outcomes are not suitable for
livelihood. But the concept of not refusing the neglecting reality that harm for human is very
famous that if anyone can stopped you to do not do the danger your intentions more push you
to perform that task.
HISTORY DOES NOT BELONG TO US?
As we discussed that history also read us when we are reading history. This is easy to
understand that when human life spend and the events happened history become at that point
and that past which we can said that history belongs to us but actually these not too much
clear like we thought. If history belongs to us we can able to predict our future also but
history become on our ultimate actions and decisions. So we can say that history apply on us
but after our death we become history for upcoming generation.
If human can able to predict his future through his past the purpose of living is become fade
and then human can deny every divine law and make his own results about his story and the
concept of consequences totally ended. Human then openly express their negative thoughts
and actions. The revenge shed everywhere and no one can care about what they have done,
just blame other about their hardship and then start taking revenge which make bloodshed to
this whole world.
No one can care about good or bad, all become selfish and careless about others. History just
not only identify the bad or good but also provide the outcomes of every actions. We just
have to relate it in our own scenario and learn from it that how can upcoming remember us in
the history like they remember us in golden part of history or the darkest part of history. It’s
totally depend on us that what history we made for our generation and what kind of lessons
we need to give them, either we like to inspire them for more exploration or we give them
disappointment for their life.

5. CONCLUSION
In conclusion we can just think about how human can aware about his future if he has
knowledge from history and deepen understand about those interpretations which wake him
up about don’t repeat it which can be harmful or unrealistic in their case.
History is same like those chapters which you perceive and apply it for your own
improvisation rather than challenging it which outcomes might hurt you or destroy your
character, spirit and thoughts.
“Because an experience is itself within the whole of life, the whole of life is present in it
too. Hans-Georg Gadamer