Interpretation of Human History

of the prominent figures in this context is Karl Marx (d. 1883), the German thinker. In the 20th century, Marx introduced a new concept of history called ‘historical materialism’. According to his idea, it was not human consciousness but material conditions that shape history. He writes, “The mode of production in material life determines the general character of the social, political and spiritual process of human life.” Another interpretation of history is nation-based. A record of various activities of a nation is considered its history, such as the history of the Indian nation, the history of the German nation and so on. Arnold Toynbee, the British historian, has presented another historical theory. He has written a book on the subject in twelve volumes, entitled ‘A Study of History.’ Toynbee has introduced the idea that history progresses through evolutionary stages of civilization. Therefore, the architects of civilizations are, in fact, the architects of history. Yet another concept of history is one which is known as ‘religious history’. This concept of history has not been accepted, academically, as an authentic interpretation, rather it is not even considered worthy of being referred to in modern times. Patrick Lancaster Gardiner, an essayist in the Encyclopaedia Britannica, in his dissertation, Philosophy of History, writes,