The question of the paradigms On the Manifesto of History under Debate

Nicolás Iñigo Carrera

Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires

I thank for to the organizers of this presentation of the interesting Manifesto of History under Debate the invitation to comprise of this panel and to expose some reflections on that document. Although I agree with some of the affirmations that in him become, which I am going to expose here rather refers a point in which the debate would have to advance towards more solid results the question of los paradigms.

The impelling group of History to Debate sets out, according to raises in its manifesto, contribuir to the configuration of a common and plural paradigm of the historians of the century XXI., that establishes un critical dialogue with other historiográficas currents. to that it somewhat characterizes of vague way despareja and like el posmodernismo., vieja history (although later it is clear that one talks about positivismo rankeano.) or el continuismo of years 60-70.. In this last denomination, the imprecisión does that, for the case of the Argentine historiography, it is impossible to find resemblance current it raises the question to us of a directly what is talking about to the National Academy of the History presided over by Ricardo Caillet-Bois? to the Training center of Social History of the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters of the University of Buenos Aires, directed by Jose Luis Romero? to the tie historical revisionism to the oligarchical nationalism (Ibarguren) or to popular or the revolutionary one (Chavez, Ortega Peña, Duhalde)? to the one of the national left (Ramos, Puiggros)? to the marxism (Milcíades Peña)? All these currents were effective in the Argentina of 60 and 70, had their followers (the indicated names are only for a reason or purpose of example) who produced investigations with different results, when not opposed.

Perhaps the ambitious proposal consists of surpassing all the effective currents at that one moment. And to contribute to this overcoming the authors of the methodologic, historiográficas propose Manifisto 18 and epistemológicas. have elaborated.

Although something could be said about the relative elasticity whereupon these concepts are handled, I am wanted to center in the question of the paradigm. Given to the initial reference to the historiográficas currents one it would hope to find in the construction of this plural paradigm a contribution for the development of the scientific knowledge and, in individual, of the theoretical and methodologic tools necessary to reach that scientific knowledge. This does not mean to deny the existence of other forms of knowledge, but we are dealing with scientific questions here. Nevertheless the emphasis of the Manifesto rather is put in the behaviors of the historians who in the theories and methods. It is not that the behaviors, the alignments, as opposed to the situations in which we are involved like human beings and like part of the society in which we lived are irrelevant. All the opposite. All (still those that deny it) we are aligns two and, by action or omission, we fortify a form of social organization and a conception of the world. But, with relation to the production of scientific knowledge, it is not sufficient.

En el Manifiesto hay un énfasis en "lo nuevo" que me recuerda algo que aprendí hace poco (no soy sociólogo sino historiador) y es que "nuevo", lo mismo que "gratis" son las palabras mágicas del marketing exaltar la novedad de un producto incrementa su venta. Sin embargo a los científicos debería interesarnos más la aproximación a la verdad que a la novedad. Y aquí aparece uno de lo que me parece uno de los puntos débiles del Manifiesto. En la concepción de Historia a Debate la verdad histórica se decide sólo "a través de la comunidad de los historiadores" (propuestas II, VI, XIII). Aquí, como la experiencia argentina de las últimas dos décadas lo ha demostrado, nos acercamos peligrosamente a la conformación de una corporación, casi de un gremio medieval, donde los dictámenes de los "maestros" deciden que es verdadero y que no.

In the Manifesto there is a new emphasis in lo that remembers something to me that I learned recently (I am not sociologist but historian) and it is that nuevo., just like gratis. is the magical words of marketing to raise the newness of a product increases its sale. Nevertheless to the scientists it would have to interest us plus the approach to the truth that to the newness. And here he appears one of which it seems to me one of the weak points of the Manifesto. In the conception of History to Debate the historical truth is decided only a traverse of the community of the historians (propose II, I SAW, XIII). Here, as the Argentine experience of last the two decades has demonstrated it, we approached dangerously the conformation of a corporation, almost of a medieval union, where the opinions of maestros. decide that he is true and that no. I am going to bring to collation two examples

The second example the community of historians had not long ago considered the aim in our days of la political in the streets; again the observation of the reality throughout the decade of 1990 had allowed to show the falsification of this affirmation; nevertheless they made lack done like those of 19 and 20 of December of the last year, when the popular mobilization forced the resignation of the government of the Alliance and its liberal minister Cavallo, so that conscience was taken from which that verdad. it was not so.

This sends us to the conditions in which the knowledge takes place usually one makes reference to the commitment of the historians with the popular fights of the decades of 60 and 70, and like this deformo'. its glance on the reality, reason why is spoken of fracaso of historia total. of those years. Much less the commitment (objective) of many intellectuals (including historians) with the capitalist offensive commanded by the financial oligarchy in 80 is taken in consideration and 90, that helps to explain with more foundation that failure.

In this offensive it is inserted what vaguely the manifest flame 1989. and that, we must suppose refers to the process of capitalist restoration in some of the societies where, at some moment, the historical process had constituted socialism embryos. (Between parenthesis seame permtido to indicate that that process, to which the Manifesto gives a landmark character that finalizes an era, is only perceived thus in certain traditions within the scientific socialism; those that we come from other traditions within the same theoretical body, we did not consider that, without letting recognize the importance of the fact, it is not the first restoration happened in the history of the Humanity, nor indicates a tendency either irreversible).

Then I consider that there would be to make emphasis more than in valores shared of the new paradigm, in necessary the methodologic elements theoretical for the construction of scientific knowledge in the present situation. That is to say, to assume like commitment the search of the truth. Like, raised this affirmation, usually it happens that somebody shows that the absolute truth does not exist, which is obvious, we must leave in clear that we are speaking of degrees of approach to the truth.

And since the Manifesto does reference to the necessity to take instrumentos already constructed I am going to propose some that has been proven and more than proven for the analysis of the capitalist societies (since that one is today) and we could use in the construction of scientific knowledge to have like power station the dimension social confrontation, in as much motor of the historical processes; social confrontations that, by means of alliances, take place, fundamentally, between social classes (although with multiple manifestations that appear carried out by the diverse personifications of social relations); classes that are constituted in the confrontation and that have their material seat in the relations established in the production and reproduction of the social life; relations that determine the constitution of markets with delimited territories where crystallize a certain state of being able; that simultaneously he is inentendible by outside the relations between the states. In synthesis, the instruments that give account of the oppression and operation relations, and of the fight processes that develops the humanity in the construction of one more a more human society, of course with time like fundamental dimension in as much are the space in that, as it indicated Marx, is developed the humanity.

August 2002

[Note You can consult in our web the text of the Manifesto of HaD in español, gallego, portugués, inglés, francés, alemán, catalán and italiano as well as suscriber, opine and/or collaborate in its diffusion, publication and use in the education of history, the methodology, the historiography and the theory of history. To writte to h-debate@cesga.es]

Tal como le manifestara a nuestro entrañable innovador Carlos Barros en Entre Ríos , no había tenido tiempo de reflexionar sobre el Manifiesto de HaD, ahora lo he hecho en conjunto con colegas, que pronto espero, darán sus propias opiniones a la red.

Después de analizar los 18 puntos del citado documento he decidido adherir a este y por lo tanto comprometerme con sus ideas.

Muchas de ellas de las cuales alguna pasaré a explicar ya formaban parte de mi cosmovisión y guiaban mi actividad profesional y cotidiana ya que no puedo pensarlas escindidas.

Coincido con la idea de poner al día el concepto de ciencia por parte de la historia reclamando su lugar como ciencia social pero sin olvidar su pertenencia a las humanidades, bregando al mismo tiempo para que la creciente ola de acortamiento de carreras universitarias,que por lo menos en Argentina, es furor y acompaña a las reducciones presupuestarias, no se haga a costa de eliminar su enseñanza entre otros recortes de materias, todas estas vinculadas con la posibilidad de favorecer el desarrollo del pensamiento critico y la idea de pertenencia a una comunidad.Quiero aclarar que con relación a esto ultimo, que es imposible desde mi punto de vista, cualquier idea de colaboración global y aceptación de los otros sin conocer previamente quien es uno, y es la historia quien otorga esa conocimiento.

Trabajo desde hace mucho tiempo con fuentes convencionales y otras que no lo son pero que son la única manera de reconstrucción del pasado, hago historia regional con mi equipo y dentro de ella,cuando puedo, me dedico especialmente a la historia de la educación. Sin fuentes orales , sin objetos que me "dicen" cosas, sin fuentes literarias, sin silencios, que me hacen formular preguntas y bucear por sus respuestas poco podría hacer en muchos casos.

Reivindicar la enseñanza de la historia, pero fundamentalmente comprometerse con sus tareas de docencia e investigación , con su sociedad y con todos aquellos grupos a los cuales uno adhiere libremente es de vital importancia en estos momentos en que una crisis global de valores nos involucra a todos, alejándonos de proyectos comunitarios.

Hacer historia, trabajando responsablemente y teniendo conciencia de nuestra propia historicidad en todo momento ,aceptando nuestra ubicación generacional y visualizando la posibilidad de dejar testimonios de todo esto para los historiadores futuros , es hoy un desafío que debemos aceptar.

A la vez deseo hacer una invitación para todos aquellos que investigan, ha llegado el momento de deponer egoísmos y usando esta maravillosa herramienta que es esta red, debemos difundir nuestros hallazgos por el solo placer de hacer crecer nuestra disciplina favoreciendo su difusión. En medio de tanto materialismo y aplicación de políticas neo- liberales, pongamos nuestras creaciones intelectuales al servicio de la humanidad ,para mostrar que en este inicio de milenio muchos de nosotros hemos aprendido algo de quienes nos precedieron.Todo lo que no se comparte termina perdiéndose ,todo lo que se brinda crece y envuelve a quien lo da.

Saludo a todos quienes integran esta lista, que ya es histórica porque nos ha permitido formar una comunidad internacional de amantes de la ciencia histórica y nos brinda ahora la posibilidad de fijar nuevos paradigmas.

Con todo cariño a todos los integrantes de HaD y al "papá" Carlos Barros y su equipo por su infatigable labor en pos dela concreción de una idea.

Hilda Noemí Agostino
Universidad Nacional de La Matanza
República Argentina
hildagos@ciudad.com.ar