Norms
Interpreting how individuals in the past felt about historical norms by applying modern values such as independence and individuality. This may neglect historical values related to tradition, stability, family and community identity.Affluence Bias
Disregarding the economic challenges of the past based on the view of a relatively affluent modern observer. For example, viewing a traditional social structure as irrational without considering that it may have been an efficient system that allowed a community to survive the harsh realities of history.Chronological Snobbery
Viewing individuals in the past as irrational and ignorant and assuming that people are much more intelligent now. For example, the assertion that the conventional wisdom of today is correct whereas the conventional wisdom of all history was mostly incorrect. Every period of history tends to view itself as the time when rational thought finally overcomes wrong thinking.Moral Judgment
Judging people of the past with modern ideas of morality. For example, judging historical figures for failing to adhere to recent rules of political correctness.Hindsight Bias
Viewing the past as more predictable than it was at the time. For example, judging a past decision as irrational because it had a poor outcome when the decision itself was reasonable given the information available at the time.Survivorship Bias
Examining the survivors of history without considering those who didn't survive in your analysis. For example, an aspiring athlete who looks at what steps an unusually successful athlete took to get into their position. This analysis may suggest that training hard and dedication to a sport may provide a reasonably certain path to similar success. This analysis neglects the thousands of aspiring athletes who worked just as hard but never reached the same level. By analyzing only the winners in a particular historical situation, things look easier than they really were.Overview
Presentism is the invalid interpretation of the past using present day as a reference. This can be contrasted with using historical evaluations of events of the time to understand how things were viewed by those who experienced it.
Notes
Presentism isn't necessarily a bias or fallacy but it depends on the argument. It is generally a fallacy to assert that historical individuals were motivated or constrained by ideas that didn't exist at the time.| Overview: Presentism | ||
Type | ||
Definition | The application of present-day ideas to interpretations of the past. | |
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