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TRUTHINSPORTSHISTORY
Morison,whomwecanhardlysuspectofsympathytowardsMarxism,
thoughthowever,inaccordancewiththatphilosophy,thatintheprocessof
writinghistoryweshoulduselectandarrangethefactsofhistoryastoinfluence
thepresentorthefutureinthedirectionthathe(historian)consideredsocially
desirable”
.17Also,inhisandhiscolleagues)opinion,auhistorian)svalueinthe
longrundependsonthelengthandcorrectnessofhisforecast.”18Teydifered,
however,fromMarxisthistorians,intheirstricteremphasisontheideathatthe
uhistorian)sprofessionaldutyisilluminatethepastforhishearersorreaders;
onlysecondarilyandderivativelyshouldhebeconcernedwithinfluencingthe
future.”19Inthistheydisplayedadiferenttypeofhistoricalmissionandhierar-
chyoftasks.
Tehistoriographyofurealsocialism”
,whichdominatedthesciencesaswell
asotherareasofthesociallifeofSovietdominatedcountriesbefore1989,was
inaspecificwayafictedandevenhauntedbythemissionoftherulingparty
systemaimedatbuildinguabetterandidealworld.”Inordertoachievethis,
therulingparty,throughitspropagandasystem,exertedpressureonallinstitu-
tions,includingacademics,andconsequentlyhistorians,expectingfromthem
helpindepreciatingandeliminatingallthatwasharmfuloratleastnotuseful
intheprocessofbuildinganewsocialorder.Inthissystemtheuclassstruggle”
directedagainsteconomicinequitiesandinjusticeswasconsideredthebasic
mechanismofhumanhistory.Tedefinitionofuclassstruggle”
,inthelaterpe-
riodofpoliticaldevelopmentwasmucheasedinideologicalformulation,but
thebasicdistinctionbetweentheuright”Marxistdominatedanduwrong”capi-
talistworldremaineduntouched.Foralongtimeitwascustomaryforauthors
ofscientificresearch,includinghistoricalworkstorecallquotationsfromKarl
MarksandFredericEngels,andthebestassuranceofbeingacceptedinformu-
latinganyscientifictruthwastoquoteVladimirLeninandJosephStalinasthe
realwarrantersofthistruth.Afer1956andNikitaKhrushtchev)sfamousre-
portcondemningStalinismatthe20thCommunistParty)sCongress,quotations
fromStalindisappeared,butthoughtsofMarxandLeninquotedinsupportof
scientifictruthwerestillinfashionalmostuntilthefallofCommunisminiti-
atedinPolandbytheSolidarityMovementattheturnof1989.
ItwasduringtheFirstScientificConferenceonPhysicalCulturein1953in
WarsawthataleadingPolishscholar,WłodzimierzMissiuroassuredtheaudi-
17SamuelE.Morison,op.cit.,p.385.
18Ibidem.
19Ibidem,p.382.
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