What is Anachronism
Anachronism is using concepts from one time to analyze facts from another time. Anachronism is the same as moving or looking back, that is, using obsolete values in a new moment or fact.
Even though it is an isolated concept, anachronism is present in the history of humanity. Anachronism should be avoided in research, articles and works that make up content considered scientific.
An example of this is using more advanced values or concepts in evaluating facts from the time of Brazilian colonization, when the white minority dominated blacks and Indians.
Anachronism is also regularly noted in commentaries that talk about the dominance of the Church during the Middle Ages. And in this way, anachronism continues to be applied in everyday classrooms, debate groups and forums on various subjects on the internet.
In order not to practice anachronism, it would be essential to contextualize the fact analyzed in the time and society in which it is linked. Anachronism preaches simplistic and current judgment, and thus disregards the character of scientific research when carried out.
Even if it is not in scientific works or for more in-depth reasons, anachronism can be avoided in more common reflections, in more commonplace dialogues.
One of the classic examples of anachronism in world history is in the Enlightenment, a movement that preached reason as a fundamental tool of man. Without judgment, the Enlightenment decreed religiosity as a detriment to wisdom. As the Middle Ages were controlled by the Church, they came to be considered by the Enlightenment as the dark ages.
During the elaboration of their concepts, the Enlightenment practically forgot or did not pay attention to medieval philosophers and the positive characteristics of that moment, when the pioneering Universities in Europe emerged.
Therefore, using values from one period to evaluate another period is called an anachronism.
