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On Monday, Hungarian training center Mathias Corvinus Collegium (MCC) in Brussels hosted a book launch discussion with Frank Füredi, MCC Brussels‘ Executive Director, on his newly published book on the “erasure” of history, The War against the Past.
In his book, the Hungarian-born sociologist examines the current “cultural crusade against history,” that often describes the past as toxic, and seeks answers to the questions of what drives this culture war and the dangers of erasing or condemning Western history. The author also examines the growing efforts to portray the past in a negative light, from the demolition of statues to the removal of historical terms from dictionaries.
Photo: MTI/Purger Tamás
During the discussion, Frank Füredi pointed out that “culture warriors” are currently trying to condemn great thinkers of history such as Aristotle, Immanuel Kant, David Hume, and Adam Smith for their “white privilege.”
Our history is being rewritten and our heritage is under attack. From Shakespeare to the greatest scientists, our cultural icons are being portrayed in a negative light. Aristotle, for example, according to recent interpretations, is the father of white supremacy,”
he said.
“The past has become contaminated by present-day prejudices. Instead of understanding the past in its own terms, we are projecting contemporary views into the past. Today, they will even ‘queer’ ancient Egypt – by insisting that we cannot call a pharaoh king or queen because we do not know how they identify,” he noted.
“The past has become contaminated by present-day prejudices. Instead of understanding the past in its own terms, we are projecting contemporary views into the past.
Today, they will even “queer” ancient Egypt – by insisting that we cannot call a pharaoh king or queen because we… pic.twitter.com/AXsKp5iVUR
— MCC Brussels (@MCC_Brussels) September 30, 2024
In his view, these current trends are leading to the 21st-century people losing their organic connection to the past and becoming disconnected from their roots.
“Young people are isolated from what came before them, questioning their place in the world, suffering from an identity crisis and unsure of the way forward,” he said. “Contemporary education seeks to uproot people from previous generations. They are taught to feel guilty about being European. The rationale behind this is open the door to a project of social engineering,” he added.
“Contemporary education seeks to uproot people from previous generations. They are taught to feel guilty about being European. The rationale behind this is open the door to a project of social engineering.”@Furedibyte pic.twitter.com/BP6QwRY7vh
— MCC Brussels (@MCC_Brussels) September 30, 2024
In his speech, Füredi defended the historical past and stressed the importance of preserving collective knowledge, countering the denigration of the greatness of Western ideas and achievements.
As reported by Hungary Today, the book launch was originally scheduled to be held on Monday September 30 at the bookstore Piola.libri. However, the Brussels bookstore hosting the event cancelled it last week, citing concerns about the “political connotation” of the launch and the bookstore’s commitment to being an “inclusive space.” “The decision by Piola.libri to cancel the event after previously agreeing to host it speaks volumes about the state of free speech in Brussels,” said Füredi, in reaction.
A similar attempt of censorship already occurred in Brussels in April this year, when businesses and local authorities tried to cancel the National Conservatism conference co-hosted by MCC Brussels.
Via MTI, Featured image: MTI/Purger Tamás