Greatness, time and history
An Emperor asks his General the meaning of greatness in the film ‘Gladiator’ and very wisely answers it himself calling it an ‘idea’. I wonder whether a similar thought haunts our incumbent leaders. In the twilight of their administration, do they think how history would remember their legacy methinks not very likely…. However, is this idea of greatness only confined to those who make history? Seems very much so, what then of those who happily go about their lives oblivious of their part in the making of tomorrow?
Following Maslow’s hierarchical tree of needs most of us would be content on just being able to meet our basic, economic and social needs. The ascent of human civilization has shown that as we progress more and more we should be more and more bullish about our role and path in making it in the news. Democracy in a way has been a revolutionary tool in spreading this power to make change and bringing in its ambit more and more people. The idea of greatness is also relative and incumbent on how we view our history. A good example of this extension of relativistic view of history (with due apologies to Einstein) is the ancient hieroglyphs of Egypt when the legacy of one pharaoh was erased by another and what we have is at best a biased picture of the various Egyptian dynasties. Another very recent example that comes to mind is the way we look at the great events in our past; till very recently and even now the prevalent notion is of looking at seismic events in political and military arena. However, with our society becoming more and more a knowledge society, great events in our history are being rewritten; the development of calendar, the concept of zero, the steam engine, the development of the pc and more recently the Internet find a place of prominence. A classic example of this is the invention of the wheel. It was there all these years but it is only now in the technological age that we attempt to find out how, when and why about this mundane object. However, it’s not so mundane as its one of the six basic machines that gave humans an edge over much stronger adversaries and more importantly it led man to question the concept of limitation. He was no longer bound and constrained by what nature had given him but could win over nature by gaining mechanical advantage. Soon we have a whole new way of looking at our history where the main players are not the Emperors or Conquerors but some humble courtesan in India who invented the potter’s wheel or the inventor from Sumeria who developed the axle. As our history becomes more oriented to this we would find out more about the persons who invented these things, their lives and their challenges with a view to ascertaining the qualities that made them great. The lives of the people who had the enterprise and the initiative to embrace technology to make life better for the future would serve to inspire the children of the technological era. The implications are clear for all of us just like nothing is static in our present there is a dynamic change even in our past. The legacy that Emperor Marcus Aurelius talks about in his ‘Meditations’ would not have been appreciated in the dark ages of the twelfth century but the concept of greatness as an idea finds resonance in the 21st century. In the new way history is being interpreted, the greatness of Rome is not defined by Caesar’s triumphant march nor by the magnificence of the Coliseums; but by impetus to the world of ideas and no doubt in this history this long forgotten Emperor finds a special place. No doubt the world of ideas needs security and prosperity, both of which are the results of the successful wars of the Empire but the subtle point is the difference between the cause and the effect. However, does this mean that all the knowledge leaders of today become historically significant or great; No because ‘greatness’ by its very definition is elitist and would continue to elude most. But nothing can prevent great things from happening when they are accepted in principle by the people at large. It is the pygmalion effect on a massive scale. Our very own incumbent has very famously has said that no power can stop an idea whose time has come. Let’s hope the time has arrived…
Following Maslow’s hierarchical tree of needs most of us would be content on just being able to meet our basic, economic and social needs. The ascent of human civilization has shown that as we progress more and more we should be more and more bullish about our role and path in making it in the news. Democracy in a way has been a revolutionary tool in spreading this power to make change and bringing in its ambit more and more people. The idea of greatness is also relative and incumbent on how we view our history. A good example of this extension of relativistic view of history (with due apologies to Einstein) is the ancient hieroglyphs of Egypt when the legacy of one pharaoh was erased by another and what we have is at best a biased picture of the various Egyptian dynasties. Another very recent example that comes to mind is the way we look at the great events in our past; till very recently and even now the prevalent notion is of looking at seismic events in political and military arena. However, with our society becoming more and more a knowledge society, great events in our history are being rewritten; the development of calendar, the concept of zero, the steam engine, the development of the pc and more recently the Internet find a place of prominence. A classic example of this is the invention of the wheel. It was there all these years but it is only now in the technological age that we attempt to find out how, when and why about this mundane object. However, it’s not so mundane as its one of the six basic machines that gave humans an edge over much stronger adversaries and more importantly it led man to question the concept of limitation. He was no longer bound and constrained by what nature had given him but could win over nature by gaining mechanical advantage. Soon we have a whole new way of looking at our history where the main players are not the Emperors or Conquerors but some humble courtesan in India who invented the potter’s wheel or the inventor from Sumeria who developed the axle. As our history becomes more oriented to this we would find out more about the persons who invented these things, their lives and their challenges with a view to ascertaining the qualities that made them great. The lives of the people who had the enterprise and the initiative to embrace technology to make life better for the future would serve to inspire the children of the technological era. The implications are clear for all of us just like nothing is static in our present there is a dynamic change even in our past. The legacy that Emperor Marcus Aurelius talks about in his ‘Meditations’ would not have been appreciated in the dark ages of the twelfth century but the concept of greatness as an idea finds resonance in the 21st century. In the new way history is being interpreted, the greatness of Rome is not defined by Caesar’s triumphant march nor by the magnificence of the Coliseums; but by impetus to the world of ideas and no doubt in this history this long forgotten Emperor finds a special place. No doubt the world of ideas needs security and prosperity, both of which are the results of the successful wars of the Empire but the subtle point is the difference between the cause and the effect. However, does this mean that all the knowledge leaders of today become historically significant or great; No because ‘greatness’ by its very definition is elitist and would continue to elude most. But nothing can prevent great things from happening when they are accepted in principle by the people at large. It is the pygmalion effect on a massive scale. Our very own incumbent has very famously has said that no power can stop an idea whose time has come. Let’s hope the time has arrived…
posted by Entropy at 1:42 PM
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