The Role of Historical Consciousness in Political Action

What is historic? What do we mean when we speak of an day, an decision, or an event? Obviously, the word does not always carry the same meaning. For the French, July 14 is an day because it stands for the storming of the Bastille during the French Revolution. On the other hand, we often read that today or tomorrow is because on this day an historic decision will be made. In this context the word can only mean that this decision will mark a turning point when viewed both from the past and the future. Arnold Gehlen had this meaning in mind when he defined historical consciousness as the ability to recognize the epochal quality of an event that is happening now; in other words, to see the event with the eyes of future generations. For Gehlen, then, the essence of historical consciousness lies not in merely remembering and transmitting the past but in the way we see the present.' Thus historical consciousness transcends the exclusive preoccupation with what happened in the past and has become history, and uses this knowledge as an element in shaping the thoughts and actions that will determine the future. Historical consciousness is not restricted to retrospective contemplation, but instead draws conclusions from the past and applies them to goals that lie in the future. This line of thinking forces us to see not merely accidental links but a crucial interdependence between political action and historical consciousness.