Reflecting History

To what extent do questions of who you are and how others see you relate to your personal and philosophical identity? How would this change in a time of war? During the Taiping Civil War, the process of identity formation, identity signaling, and identity assignment reveals interesting questions about the nature of identity, what it means to be physically and spiritually whole, and how we should look at these questions historically speaking.  This episode is part two in a series covering Tobie Meyer-Fong's excellent book "What Remains," about some of the less talked about social aspects of the Taiping Civil War such as memory, identity, and psychological distress; as well as the practical physical and psychological realities which played a role in a conflict with tens of millions of casualties.  -Consider Supporting the Podcast!- Support the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/reflectinghistory Check out my podcast series on Arcane and the Dark Knight Trilogy here: https://www.reflectinghistory.com/bo

How did ordinary people make sense of a devastating and apocalyptic event like the Taiping Civil War? To what extent did the logic of divine reward and punishment play a role in the ordinary lives of people impacted by this conflict? How did people combat the horrors of war psychologically? This episode is part one in a series covering Tobie Meyer-Fong's excellent book "What Remains," about some of the less talked about social aspects of the Taiping Civil War such as memory, identity, and psychological distress; as well as the practical physical and psychological realities which played a role in a conflict with tens of millions of casualties.  -Consider Supporting the Podcast!- Support the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/reflectinghistory Check out my podcast series on Arcane and the Dark Knight Trilogy here: https://www.reflectinghistory.com/bonuscontent Try my audio course: Why do 'good' people support evil leaders? What allure does Fascism hold that enables it to garner popular support? And wha

The Taiping Civil War was an apocalyptic event for those who lived through it. For most ordinary civilians, the realties on the ground involved violence, looting, hypocrisy, and danger at all times. The chaos, death, and atrocities would force those who survived to face complicated questions of grief and loss.  This is the fifth episode in a series on the Taiping Civil War or the Taiping Rebellion in China. It deals with some of the particularly violent characteristics of the the war, as well as discussing the end of the war from multiple different perspectives. -Consider Supporting the Podcast!- Support the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/reflectinghistory Check out my podcast series on Arcane and the Dark Knight Trilogy here: https://www.reflectinghistory.com/bonuscontent Try my audio course: Why do 'good' people support evil leaders? What allure does Fascism hold that enables it to garner popular support? And what lessons can history teach us about today? My audio course 'A Beginners Guide to U

The Taiping Civil War is often seen as a product of clashing belief systems and a testament to the power of belief. This episode provides some analysis for how the belief systems of the 3 major players in the conflict interacted and converged: the Taiping version of Christianity, the Qing appeal to Confucian tradition, and the western imperial civilizing mission. This is the fourth episode in a series on the Taiping Civil War or the Taiping Rebellion in China. It focuses on the ways that the belief systems of the major forces in the conflict set the stage for understanding the trauma and misery that ordinary people faced as a result of this war.  -Consider Supporting the Podcast!- Support the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/reflectinghistory Check out my podcast series on Arcane and the Dark Knight Trilogy here: https://www.reflectinghistory.com/bonuscontent Try my audio course: Why do 'good' people support evil leaders? What allure does Fascism hold that enables it to garner popular support? And

How did Hong Xiuquan transform from ordinary school teacher into the leader of the largest rebellion in modern history and the younger brother of Jesus? What started out as one man's fever dream would slowly reveal itself to be a nightmare in reality for millions of people in China.  This is the third episode in a series on the Taiping Civil War or the Taiping Rebellion in China. It focuses on the origin story of Hong Xiuquan, his interpretation of Christian scripture in the context of the dysfunction of China at the time, his appeals to the disenfranchised and anti-establishment, and the apocalyptic and violent nature of Hong's Taiping religion.  -Consider Supporting the Podcast!- Support the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/reflectinghistory Check out my podcast series on Arcane and the Dark Knight Trilogy here: https://www.reflectinghistory.com/bonuscontent Try my audio course: Why do 'good' people support evil leaders? What allure does Fascism hold that enables it to garner popular support? And

The “Great Man” style of history is often scoffed on, but does it have a part to play in the story of the Taiping Civil War? Which plays a bigger role in history-individual choices and decisions made by powerful individuals, or the larger contextual trends acting on those individuals? Ultimately a mix of these two styles of history may help us understand how mixed cultural and religiously syncretic systems of belief, combined with translated religious texts and Christian teachings wound up in the hands of perhaps the one man willing and able to set off the pressure cooker that was China in the mid 19th century. This is the second episode in a series on the Taiping Civil War or the Taiping Rebellion in China. It focuses on the spread of Christianity in China during the 19th century and the ways that old belief systems mixed to create something new.  Support the podcast:https://www.patreon.com/reflectinghistory Try my audio course: Why do 'good' people support evil leaders? What allure does Fascism hold that en

From 1850-1864, China was swallowed by a wave of chaos and destruction that was bizarre, unprecedented, and apocalyptic. Some historians estimate that the Taiping Civil War left more than 20 million dead in it's wake. The tale is often told as the strange story of the Taiping leader Hong Xiuquan, who claimed to be the younger brother of Jesus and essentially started his own version of Christianity in China. But there is more to the story, and understanding the Taiping Civil War starts with understanding some of the broader themes at play in 19th century China. Nationalism, economic crises, environmental degradation, western imperialism, cultural syncretism, and other forces combined with the fever dreams of one man to change the world forever.  This episode focuses on a broad overview of the Taiping Civil War and some of the major themes that will be at play in this series. Future episodes will go more in depth as well as focus on the human element of the catastrophe.  Support the podcast:https://www.patreon.

Hey everyone, this is a bonus episode from my Patreon feed. Hope you enjoy it. If you want to support the podcast, you can click the link here: https://www.patreon.com/reflectinghistory "The Bear" by William Faulkner is one of the legendary stories in American literature. Written many decades ago, I think it still has something important to tell us about Manifest Destiny, nature, unity, truth, beauty, and more. A boy's journey to find and hunt a mythical bear can also teach us something about the value of struggle and endurance. Maybe we aren't there yet, but one day we could be. And that's worth enduring for.  Read the story here: https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnx0aGV2aXJ0dWFsZW5nbGlzaG5vdGVib29rfGd4OjFiYjYyNDA4NTQwZDkyMjc Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/reflectinghistory Try my audio course: Why do 'good' people support evil leaders? What allure does Fascism hold that enables it to garner popular support? And what lessons can history teach us about to

In this episode, I sat down with Vietnam War veteran and now best selling author William V. Taylor to talk about his memoir “On Full Automatic: Surviving 13 Months In Vietnam.” During the discussion we talked about his enlistment and training process, the types and nature of combat during his time there, the role of the environment and how factors like heat and terrain affected him, his relationship to civilians in Vietnam, his changing view of the nature of the enemy as the war went on, the ways that big picture military strategy often clashed with the realities on the ground, the human element of war, the importance of letter writing for him, and ultimately his thoughts on one of the main questions he asks in his book: was it worth it? Bill Taylor, author of "On Full Automatic: Surviving 13 Months in Vietnam" served in the First Battalion, Third Marine Regiment in Vietnam for 13 months in 1967 and 1968. He has spoken for Veteran’s Organizations and to local schools about the Vietnam War. He currently belong

In this episode I sat down with historian Susan Carruthers to discuss her new book "Dear John: Love and Loyalty in Wartime America." We discuss the history of the Dear John letter in times of war, how relationships and emotional life are stressed during times of war, social norms and gender roles in regards to letter writing in times of war, the sweeping changes in the technology of communication between spouses of military members, the psychology surrounding these topics, the nature of institutions and how they can lean into narratives that may or may not follow from evidence, and more.  Susan L. Carruthers is Professor of US and International History, University of Warwick. The author of six books, including The Good Occupation: American Soldiers and the Hazards of Peace, she taught for fifteen years at Rutgers University-Newark, and has held visiting fellowships at Harvard, Princeton, and the Woodrow Wilson Center. She was a finalist for the 2017 PEN Hessell-Tiltman prize. Support the podcast: https://www.

What is freedom? Is it possible to truly make free decisions? How does this relate to the political concept of tyranny? In a world where freedom is often seen as one of the highest ethical priorities, it's worth taking a closer look at what freedom really is. Questions about freedom have been pondered since the beginnings of humanity, including the Ancient Greek philosophers Socrates and Plato offering analysis on the topic that is still relevant today.  Read Book IX of Plato's Republic here: http://classics.mit.edu/Plato/republic.10.ix.html Support the podcast: https://www.patreon.com/reflectinghistory Reflecting History on Twitter: @reflectinghist If you like the podcast and have 30 seconds to spare, consider leaving a review on iTunes/Apple Podcasts...It helps! Try my audio course: Why do 'good' people support evil leaders? What allure does Fascism hold that enables it to garner popular support? And what lessons can history teach us about today?   My audio course 'A Beginners Guide to Understanding & R

"There are decades where nothing happens, and there are weeks where decades happen." Vladimir Lenin's famous words beg the question: are some moments in history more significant than others? Are there "crossroads" time periods in history where a given path can branch into multiple different pathways? What are some examples of these crossroads moments and what creates these seismic shifts in the trajectory of history?   Support the podcast: https://www.patreon.com/reflectinghistory Reflecting History on Twitter: @reflectinghist If you like the podcast and have 30 seconds to spare, consider leaving a review on iTunes/Apple Podcasts...It helps! Try the audio course: Why do 'good' people support evil leaders? What allure does Fascism hold that enables it to garner popular support? And what lessons can history teach us about today?   My audio course 'A Beginners Guide to Understanding & Resisting Fascism: Nazi Germany and the Battle for the Human Heart' explores these massive questions through the lens of Nazi

Is it possible to ever be truly happy? What if your happiness rests on a backbone of degradation and exploitation? Is it right to sacrifice the few for the many? What should be done about injustice in the world? All of these questions and more are contemplated in Ursula Le Guin's amazing short story "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas."  Read the story here: https://learning.hccs.edu/faculty/emily.klotz/engl1302-6/readings/the-ones-who-walk-away-from-omelas-ursula-le-guin/view Support the podcast: https://www.patreon.com/reflectinghistory Reflecting History on Twitter: @reflectinghist If you like the podcast and have 30 seconds to spare, consider leaving a review on iTunes/Apple Podcasts...It helps! Try the audio course: Why do 'good' people support evil leaders? What allure does Fascism hold that enables it to garner popular support? And what lessons can history teach us about today?   My audio course 'A Beginners Guide to Understanding & Resisting Fascism: Nazi Germany and the Battle for the Human Hea

From universities down to the Hitler Youth, the education system in 1930's Germany was co-opted by Nazi ideology. In what ways did the endorsement of Nazi ideals by prominent thinkers and intellectuals impact popular opinion? In what ways did the education system change to align itself with Nazi beliefs? How did this impact ordinary people? Try the audio course: Why do 'good' people support evil leaders? What allure does Fascism hold that enables it to garner popular support? And what lessons can history teach us about today?   My audio course 'A Beginners Guide to Understanding & Resisting Fascism: Nazi Germany and the Battle for the Human Heart' explores these massive questions through the lens of Nazi Germany and the ordinary people who lived, loved, collaborated and even resisted during those times.   Through exploring the past, I hope to unlock lessons that all learners on the course can apply to the present day - from why fascism attracts people to how it can be resisted. I'm donating 20% of the pro

For as long as there has been history, there has been a struggle to interpret and analyze that history. Different perspectives, ideologies, and approaches permeate the study of the past. So which interpretation of history is the correct one? Could we all come to a consensus? What if we had a time machine that allowed us to all go back to the same moment and take the guess work and perspective out of history, leaving behind only the facts and the evidence? What would thinking about these questions tell us about what history means and who deserves to have access to it? Ken Liu uses the World War II era atrocities of Japanese Unit 731 to analyze these questions and more in his epic short story "The Man Who Ended History." Read the story here: https://bbs.pku.edu.cn/attach/93/f6/93f63ba1560a8e2d/liu_the_man_who_ended_history.pdf Support the podcast: https://www.patreon.com/reflectinghistory Reflecting History on Twitter: @reflectinghist If you like the podcast and have 30 seconds to spare, consider leaving a revi

Can something be valuable, good, or useful if it isn't real? Depending on your answer to that and your definition of real, fantasy and science fiction may not qualify. But in this episode I argue for the positive benefits of reading and watching fantasy, why it's inherently valuable, how it helps the study of history, and how it can be useful in the real world.  For a different (and much better) reading of the George RR Martin quote I cite in this episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUMs1E_ZjLE Support the podcast: https://www.patreon.com/reflectinghistory Reflecting History on Twitter: @reflectinghist If you like the podcast and have 30 seconds to spare, consider leaving a review on iTunes/Apple Podcasts...It helps! Try my audio course: Why do 'good' people support evil leaders? What allure does Fascism hold that enables it to garner popular support? And what lessons can history teach us about today?   My audio course 'A Beginners Guide to Understanding & Resisting Fascism: Nazi Germany and the Batt

Hey everybody, here is a bonus episode I released a few months ago on my Patreon feed. Hope you enjoy and have a great Thanksgiving. The recent discovery of "Dragon Man" and it's potential relationship to early humanity has created some level of controversy in history and archaeology circles. What does this new discovery tell us about the "process" of history? Is history something that is set in stone? Or does it change as humanity changes? Questions worth pondering. Thanks for the support!  Here is the article referenced in the episode: https://patrickwyman.substack.com/p/dragon-man-emerges Support the podcast: https://www.patreon.com/reflectinghistory Reflecting History on Twitter: @reflectinghist If you like the podcast and have 30 seconds to spare, consider leaving a review on iTunes/Apple Podcasts...It helps! Try my audio course: Why do 'good' people support evil leaders? What allure does Fascism hold that enables it to garner popular support? And what lessons can history teach us about today? My audio c

Is there a conflict between a zoomed-out historical approach that is focused on facts, events, and dates, versus a more bottom up approach that is focused on ordinary people and their experience of those facts, events, and dates? More recent popular histories and storytellers have focused on the human element (myself included) to bring more emotion and weight to the arguments that they are making. But can the use of this human element be exploitative at times? Can it go over the top into the realm of shock and awe? Is it fair to use someone else's story who is no longer alive to make a point about history? What sort of ethics are at play here? All of these are questions worth asking in my view.  Support the podcast: https://www.patreon.com/reflectinghistory Reflecting History on Twitter: @reflectinghist If you like the podcast and have 30 seconds to spare, consider leaving a review on iTunes/Apple Podcasts...It helps! Try my audio course: Why do 'good' people support evil leaders? What allure does Fascism hol

Well, I never thought I would make it to 100 episodes. But here we are. A sincere thank you to everyone reading this right now and to everyone who has ever taken the time to listen to this podcast.  In this episode I do a deep dive into the movie "Cast Away" starring Tom Hanks from the year 2000. In my view, this movie stands the test of time and is about a lot more than a guy stranded on an island with a volleyball. It's about meaning and purpose, time and resilience, letting go and remembering, humanistic psychology and universal needs, starting over and concluding. Support the podcast: https://www.patreon.com/reflectinghistory Reflecting History on Twitter: @reflectinghist If you like the podcast and have 30 seconds to spare, consider leaving a review on iTunes/Apple Podcasts...It helps! Try my audio course: Why do 'good' people support evil leaders? What allure does Fascism hold that enables it to garner popular support? And what lessons can history teach us about today?   My audio course 'A Beginners Gui

"Don't reach for the stars, reach for the flowers." One of the appealing aspects of humanistic psychology is it's embrace of the ordinary and it's emphasis on the fundamental goodness of human beings. Is it true that human nature is fundamentally good as humanists like Abraham Maslow say? Or is there too much evidence of greed and malevolence from the historical past? Should we focus on what human beings have been? Or what they could be? This episode concludes a two part series on humanistic psychology and the recent updating of the hierarchy of needs in the book "Transcend" by Scott Barry Kaufman. Support the podcast: https://www.patreon.com/reflectinghistory Reflecting History on Twitter: @reflectinghist If you like the podcast and have 30 seconds to spare, consider leaving a review on iTunes/Apple Podcasts...It helps! Try my audio course: Why do 'good' people support evil leaders? What allure does Fascism hold that enables it to garner popular support? And what lessons can history teach us about today?   M