Summer Edition 2024
HuMag For all your humanities needs
To
what extent
and
in what ways can the past be a good guideforthefuture?
This question simultaneously addresses the utilityofthepastasaguidetothefutureandthe means by which we may achieve this. To answerthisquestion,wemustalsoexaminethe rationalebehindusingthepasttoascertainthe direction of the future. In deconstructing this question, it is imperative that I define the meaningofthewordguide;ameansbywhich one can obtain knowledge concerning future events or actions. This does not impose any claim to necessity and is merely a useful indicatorofthefuture.Iwillbeexaminingthe argumentforthepastbeingagoodguidetothe future with the application of simple physical systemsasabasecase.WiththeviewsofHume presenting an opposing proposition with his ‘Problem of Induction.’ I will then claim the implications of complex physical systems as wellassocietalsystemsresultintherealitythat thepastdoesnotserveasagoodguideforthe future. I will analyze chaos theory within the context of complex physical systems. Then applying the opposing arguments of David ChalmersandArnoldToynbeeonwhetherthe past is a good guide for the future when concerningsocietalsystems.
Simplephysicalsystems
Simple classical physical systems may be accurately described by Newtonian Laws, based on the motion of bodies in the past, inductively carried through with a reliable result commenting on the future. This uses inductionbecausehislawsofmotionarebased on empirical observations of past bodies and claimto depict future motion This formulates the understanding that we can construct knowledge of future events, based upon past empirical evidence. However, Hume presents ‘TheProblemofInduction’1 within‘AnInquiry Concerning Human Understanding’. In applying induction, it is defined in the ‘New World Encyclopedia’ as ‘A specific form of reasoninginwhichthepremisesofanargument support a conclusion, but do not ensure it’2 Hume claims that in predicting the future through induction we impose the assumption that the future will resemble the past, presupposing uniformity within nature. We expectthesameoutcomefromthesamesystem eachtime.Hisargumentdoesnotdisregardthe idea that we base our knowledge of the future upon past events, but more argues against the justification for adopting this method. In the caseofaworkedexample,weknowthatifwe letgoofanobject,itwillfallonthefloor.You base this assumption upon the idea that past experienceshavetoldyouthisoccurswhenan objectisdropped,soyouassumeifyoudropan object tomorrow, it will fall.Indoing this one ismakingtheassumptionthattheeffectsofthe sameactioninthepast,willbeconstantinthe future.Humearguesthatwhenoneattemptsto explain their method of reasoning to come to this conclusion, one responds using an inductive belief as their justification that is baseduponpastevents.Thisthereforeresultsin a claim that is unreliable based upon the proposedassumptions.InrespondingtoHume, wecanacknowledgethatHumeiscorrecttobe skeptical as this paradigm has since been usurped by significant advancements within
science.However,underNewtonsparadigmwe wereabletoapplyatechnicallyincorrectmodel to achieve real life advancements within science.Therefore,thistheorybaseduponpast observations as ‘guide’ was reliable and accurate to a length that allows for advances and successes inthefutureof humanity andis consequentlyagoodguide.
Complexphysicalsystems
However, in considering complex physical systems,wefindtheycannotbepredictedwith reference to the past due to concepts of chaos theorythatdemandsattentionwhenconsidering this question. Chaos theory is the concept of unpredictable systems with complex natures that are extremely sensitive to the initial conditions.Animmeasurably minor change in initial conditions may lead to any system developing entirely differently, making the future of large systems impossible to predict. Deconstructingthis,wecanunderstandthatthe outcomeofsuchactionsofthepastarehighly dependentontheirinitialconditionswhichare impossibletoreplicatetoanaccuratelevelthat could provide certainty for the same outcome, animmeasurablefactorofitsinitialstatecould determineadifferentoutcomethanonethathas previouslyoccurred. Dueto theinadequacy of accurate information it does therefore not provideenoughutilityforittobeconsidereda guide. However, for philosophers that hold a deterministicview,chaostheorydoesnothold trueasitchallengestheideathattheuniverseis alreadypre-determined.Whenapplyingthisto complexphysicalsystems,evenwithvariation in initial conditions the outcome is molded by determinismandtheideologythattheoutcome ispredecidedbyfactorsotherthantheirinitial state. However, chaos theory suggests, even that with holding a deterministic view, variations in initial conditions of complex physical systems canlead to unlike outcomes, holding the idea that we are unable to use the pastasaguidetothefuturetobetrue.
Societalsystems
Regarding societal systems, the past cannot provideaguideforanysocietalsystemsuchas politics due to the concept that these systems arelikewisecomplexphysicalsystemswiththe complexity of the human consciousness. Conscious beings cannot be predicted with reference to their past behavior due to the independentabilityofthehumanconsciousness to develop over time. With absence of human understanding surrounding conscious processes, this results in lack of evidence for any claims that argue for uniformity of a conscious being with time. David Chalmers directlyarguesthatascienceofconsciousness isunattainable,duetothenecessaryinvokingof properties that are beyond science to understandconsciousness.Chalmersaddresses thatthe‘hardproblems’ofconsciousness,such as how the physical brain gives rise to conscious experience, and he adopts the view that these questions are simply unanswered. Due to current inability to provide any useful information of the developing conscious experience, it is impossible to accurately predict the future of a conscious being. This leads to incapabilities in hypothesizing how societal systems shall act in the future based uponpastinformation.However,inaddressing the argument that past is a good guide to the
future, Arnold Toynbee argues that it is possibletomodelthefutureofsocietalsystems suchaspoliticsbasedonhistory,foundwithin his works of ‘A Study of History’3. Through viewingtheriseandfallofcivilizationsthrough history, he concluded that civilizations go through periods of growth and development. Through analyzing life cycles of historical civilizations,we can exposerecurringpatterns that can be applied to our understanding the futureof civilizations.Within studying human interferencewithinthepast,hedevelopmentthe concept of ‘creative minorities,’ people who lead civilians through periods of crisis with vision, who’s decisions have a significant impactonthefutureofacivilization.Through analysisoftheseminoritiesinthepast,wecan predict how similar groups may influence the world in the future, such as impact in the politicalsystem.Ifweapplythedefinitionthat a guide in no more than merely a useful tool, which holds no certainty, then Toynbee’s argument holds true. Although, Toynbee fails to present an argument that addresses the
unpredictable nature of the human consciousness, and specifically the lack of knowledge that as a society have obtained surrounding this, which makes this merely impossible to predict the future of societal systems.
Conclusion
I find when deliberating this question, the prospectthatwecanusethepastasanaccurate as well as useful guide for the future to be a futile position to hold. The striking scientific evidence found within chaos theory, how complex physical systems are unpredictable, makeitmerelyimpossibletoassumethefuture based upon past events. Within societal systems, the interference of the human conscious experience that is constantly developing lacks empirical evidence to be predicted, the effects of which would be detrimental the course of the future, with Chalmers adopting the view that the ‘hard problems’ of consciousness are yet to be explained.Theimplicationsoftheseideologies suggest that we should not base our future knowledgeonpasteventsduetonotonlytheir complex nature of their initial state, but also with the added interference of the human consciousness.Ifweappliedthepastasaguide to the future,we would come toan inaccurate and useless representationof the reality of the future,whichentailsthehopelessnessintrying todoso.
DavidHumeHow has poststructuralism changedacademia?
Towards the end of the 60s a new cultural movement shook the academic world: Poststructuralism. This new school of thought significantly reshaped the landscape of academia, discourse, politics andnormal life in way that you would not expect. This article exploreshowthepoststructuralistideasofpower andlanguagehavepermanentlychangedvarious academic disciplines and fostered a more nuanced and dynamic approach to knowledge production.
One of the fundamental contributions of poststructuralismisthedeconstructionofbinary oppositions. Traditional academic disciplines often relied on either/or-isms such as nature/culture, male/female, and self/other. Poststructuralist thinkers, notably Jacques Derrida, questioned the stability of these categories, revealing their fluid and contingent nature. This deconstructive approach has influenced literature, philosophy, and cultural analysis massively, encouraging scholars to explorethecomplexitiesthatexistbeyondthese simplisticdichotomies.
Poststructuralism also revolutionized the study of literature and cultural texts by emphasizing the open-ended nature of language. Poststructuralist thought declared that language wasn't merely a neutral vessel for thought; it actively shaped experience and reality. PhilosopherslikeDerridademonstratedhowthe many meanings of words and phrases could subvertanyattemptatfixedinterpretations.This sent shockwaves through literary criticism,
ExistentialismvsAbsurdism
While the Nazis ravaged across the European plain, the clandestine paper Libération, sponsored by the French resistance,wasbeingpublished.Thetwo editors, Albert Camus, and Jean Paul Sartre emerged as intellectual giants during the resistance and the post-war reconstruction era. Their philosophies, Absurdism for Camus, and Existentialism for Sartre (though Kierkegaard was technically the first existentialist, Sartre popularized the philosophyandisitsbest-knownfigure), sharethepremisethatlifeismeaningless, and humans aren't born with a specific purpose. However, they diverge in their perspectivesbeyondthispoint.
ushering in the era of analysis, where power dynamicsandtheinherentinstabilityofmeaning took centre stage. Texts are no longer seen as stableentitieswithfixedmeanings;instead,they are understood as sites of continual interpretation. This perspective has profound implications for literary criticism, where scholars now engage in multifaceted analyses thatconsiderthediversewaystextscanberead. Thishasallowedustoanalysetextsfordifferent meanings and themes (which the author may havenotintended)forexampledoingaMarxist, queerorfeministanalysisofatext.
Movingawayfromtheliteraryfieldyoucansee that Foucault's insights into the relationship between power and discourse have left an indelible mark on the social sciences. Poststructuralistideashaveledtoare-evaluation ofhowknowledgeisproducedanddisseminated in society. Cultural analysis, informed by Foucauldian concepts, has become a crucial methodinanalysis.Nowhistorians,armedwith
poststructuralistinsights,starttodigdeeperand uncover silenced voices while challenging established narratives. Political scientists begin to dissect the intertwined nature of power and discourse,whilesociologistsusedeconstruction topeelbackthelayersofsocialcategories.
Poststructuralism'srejectionof essentialism has had a profound impact on identity studies. Whetheringenderstudies,racestudies,orqueer theory, scholars have embraced the idea that identities are not fixed but are socially constructed and context dependent. This has paved the way for more inclusive and intersectional analyses that acknowledge the complexity of human experiences.
Poststructuralist thought has challenged traditional narratives and fostered a more nuanced understanding of the diverse ways in whichindividualsnavigatetheiridentities.
Poststructuralismhasbroughtaboutashiftfrom foundationalism to anti-foundationalism. The idea that knowledge is not based on fixed, universal truths but is contingent and contextspecific has influenced many debates about the way we acquire knowledge (for example ToK hingesontheconceptsinanti-foundationalism.). Philosophersnowgrapplewiththemultitudeof perspectives and recognize that diverse voices contribute to a richer understanding of reality. This has fueled interdisciplinary approaches, breaking down the barriers between traditional academic disciplines and encouraging collaborationacrossfields.
Of course, such seismic shifts rarely go unchallenged. Poststructuralism faced its fair share of critiques. Some worried it led to relativism, where all truths were equally valid and objective knowledge became impossible. Othersfoundits focus onlanguagetoo abstract anditsjargondenseandimpenetrable.Buteven its detractors cannot deny its enduring impact. Poststructuralism instilled in us a vital skepticism towards grand narratives, empowering us to critically analyse power structures and dominant discourses. It opened the doors of academia to diverse perspectives and experiences, fostering inclusivity and challenging entrenched categories, and by dismantling the illusion of fixed meaning, it encouraged interdisciplinary dialogues and collaborations, enriching our understanding of theworldinitsmultifacetedcomplexity.
In conclusion, poststructuralism has had a transformativeimpactonacademia,challenging establishednormsandfosteringamoredynamic and critical approach to knowledge. By deconstructing binaryoppositions, emphasizing thefluidityoflanguage,andinterrogatingpower dynamics,poststructuralistideashavepermeated disciplines ranging from literature and philosophy to the social sciences and identity studies. As academia continues to evolve, the legacy of poststructuralism remains a driving force behind the pursuit of more inclusive, nuanced,andcontextuallyawarediscipline.
Sartre's assertion that "existence precedesessence"meansthathumansare born without a predetermined purpose; there is no divine cosmic plan or "essence" (a Cartesian expression referring to God's plan). Instead, individualsmustcreatetheirownessence through the choices they make. Every choice shapes our lives, defining them until death, at which point the true meaning of our lives becomes apparent. Theact of making choices is integral to existentialist thought, emphasizing the giddying free will it allows—a concept embraced by a downtrodden Europe at the time and still relevant today. Sartre highlightsourfreewillbyexplainingthat beings that are "pour-soi"[2](acting in one'sowninterests)haveaconsciousness
"retired behind a nothingness,"[3]signifying that our consciousness is separate from the material world, and only we can influence our thoughts, granting us completefreewill.
Absurdism, on the other hand, delves deeperintotheinherentlackofmeaning in the universe, deviating from existentialism by positing that the universe is always meaningless. Searchingformeaningisviewedasfutile and a direct cause for anguish. Camus urgesustoembracetheabsurdityoflife to find happiness. Absurdist’s have an ambiguous view of free will, acknowledging our ability to make choices but questioning whether it truly
MichealFoucault JaquesDerridaconstitutes free will in a meaningless universe. Regardless, they emphasize living authentically and rebelliously against the limitations imposed by the absurdity of life, embracing passion, pleasure,andrebellioninthefaceofthe
absurd.ThisconnectstoCamus'famous quote: "The struggle itself is enough to fill a man’s heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy,"[4]suggesting that Sisyphus's constant struggle against his absurdexistencebringshimhappiness.
CamusandSartre'sonce-tightfriendship tragically fractured over their radically different approaches to political action andrevolution.Whilebothengagedwith existentialist notions of freedom and rebellion, their paths diverged sharply whenit cametoconcreteaction.Camus
advocatedfornon-violent,individualistic rebellion against societal constraints, horrified by the violence of historical revolutions. Sartre, in contrast, saw revolutionaryviolenceasanecessaryevil to dismantle oppressive systems and achieve true social justice. This fundamental disagreement, prominently showcased in their clash over Camus' critiqueofSovietatrocitiesinTheRebel, igniteda bitterpublicfeud, markingthe end of their intellectual brotherhood. While their philosophical legacies remain intertwined, their stark differences in confronting absurdity etchedadeepchasmbetweenthesetitans of20th-centurythought.
Inconclusion,whilebothabsurdismand existentialism grapple with the question of meaning in a seemingly meaningless universe, they offer starkly different ways of navigating this existential dilemma. Existentialism, with its emphasis on free will and creating our
own meaningthrough action, empowers us to rise above the absurdity and forge our own destinies. Absurdism confronts the futility of finding meaning head-on, urging us to embrace the absurdity and live authentically despite it. The choice between these philosophies is personal, and it boils down to finding solace in creating our own meaning or finding liberation in accepting the absurd and living passionately in the face of it. Perhaps,asCamushimselfsuggested,the
Thehistoryofthemedicalizationofqueerness.
The American Psychiatric Association officially thought that homosexuality was a mental illness, until 1973. It was classified as a sociopathic personality disturbance, in the same category as paedophilia. While homosexuality’s status as a mental illness was officially revoked in 1973, a classified mental disorder related to same sex attraction was still recognized in the DSM-5 (the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders) until 2013 and at current date there are still mental illnesses related to being trans recognizedintheDSM-5.Tofistdiscuss this issue I have to define medicalization, medicalization is the processbywhichhumanconditionsand problemscometobedefinedandtreated asmedicalconditions.Whilethismaybe beneficial in some instances, the medicalization of PTSD, it can also be incredibly damaging as I will show below.
The basis for medicalization of homosexuality can be traced back to Sigmund Freud who thought, wrongly, thathomosexualitywascausedbysome kind of abnormal experience in childhood. Although he later changed hismindaboutitbeingamentalillness, the idea that people who aren't straight are mentally ill, due to childhood trauma, stuck. In the 50s and 60s these
ideas were reinforced by people like Sandor Rado and Irving Bieber who startedtosaythatintheirfindings,gay, lesbian, and bisexual people seemed dysfunctional. They thought they could improvetheirwellbeingby‘curing’their samesexattraction. Theybelievedthat same sex attraction was caused by bad parenting and childhood trauma (the Freudian legacy) with the logical conclusion being that same sex attraction can be fixed like any other trauma, through therapy, this is where thepopularizationofconversiontherapy started.DrEvelynHookerconductedan actual scientific study on the effects of same sex attraction on mental health (with a control group), and she found that gay people weren't more dysfunctional than the straight men. However,herworkwascoveredupand she was shunned from the psychiatric community. This was partly due to the Nixonadministrationwhichtriedtobury it on political grounds, but, academics anddoctorspushedbackaswell.
TheproblemwasthatFreudandalotof the thinkers who came after him only everspoketogay,lesbian,andbisexual peoplewhowerealreadyintherapy,and ignoredalltheoneswhoweren't,which created a single story about same sex attractionbeingharmful.Thisideamade peoplefeelashamedofthemselves,and
answerliesnotinchoosingonepathover the other but in embracing the tension between them—the constant grappling with the absurd, the tension between action and acceptance—where we find thetruestexpressionofourhumanity.
The legacy of Camus and Sartre, their friendshipforgedinthefiresofresistance andfracturedbydivergentapproachesto confronting the absurd, reminds us that
thereisnosingleanswertothequestion of meaning. Instead, their philosophies offeramapofpossibilities,aspectrumof options for navigating the complexities ofexistenceinaworlddevoidofinherent meaning. As we journey through this landscape,letusrememberthatboththe existentialist's cry of defiance and the absurdist'slaughterinthefaceofthevoid have the power to enrich our lives and guide us towards a more authentic existence.
made those around them, especially parents,feellikethey'ddonesomething wrong. This made being gay miserable which caused a large spike in rates of depression and suicidality in the queer community which psychiatrists pointed to, to confirm their decision that homosexuality was a mental illness, creating an effective negative feedback loopofhomophobia.These"diagnoses" wasusedtojustifytakingawaypeople's rights and talking over them because, ‘They're mentally ill so therefore they don't know what's best for them.’ this resulted in people being sent to brutal conversion therapy camps in order to curehomosexualityasthoughitwerean illness.
In order to shed more light on how psychiatrists had this much power we must turn to Michael Foucault. In Foucault’s seminal work: Madness and Civilizationhesaidthat“thelanguageof psychiatry, which is a monologue on reason on madness,couldbeestablished onlyonthebasisofsuchsilence.”,inthis quote Foucault stated that the dialogue between the psychiatrist and the “patient” is in fact a monologue. This monologue, created by the perceived expertiseofpsychiatristscombinedwith theperceived“madness”ofmentallyill people,allowsthepsychiatristtodictate tothepatientthemannerinwhichtheir
JeanPaulSartre AlbertCamus“mental disorder” manifests in them as well as allowing the psychiatrist to dictate to the public how this “mental disorder” affects people. Through this the psychiatrists invalidate the subjective experiences of the “mentally ill” people in order to make the psychiatricdiagnosisobjective,ineffect silencing the subjectivity of “mentally ill” people under the guise of a doctor curingapatient.
Anotherissuewithpsychiatricdiagnosis stemsfromtheideaofitbeingamedical diagnosis. In a medical setting you will treat an issue if it inhibits normal function but when you say that mental illnesses "inhibits normal function" it requires you to define what is normal. Which relies on the psychiatrist’s own ideas of what counts as a normal, this affectstheirjudgementofwhoisdeviant and therefore “mentally ill”. Therefore, anyone who psychiatrists define as not “normal”(inthiscontextgaypeople)is mentallyillwhichmeansthatthereisthe frameworkinplacetotalkoverandlimit thefreedomsofthosepeople.
HowHitlerrosetopower
AdolfHitler'srisetopowerisacomplex and troubling chapter in human history. One aspect that stands out amidst the chaosofhispoliticalmaneuveringishis charismatic leadership style. Charisma, defined as a compelling charm or attractivenessthatcaninspiredevotionin others, played a crucial role in Hitler's ability to sway public opinion and consolidatepower.Thisessaydelvesinto howHitler'scharismabecameapowerful tool,especiallyintimesofpoliticalcrisis, enhancinghisinfluenceandsecuringthe supportofhisfollowers.
Hitler faced a challenging situation within his party, with frustration mountingover the failureto gain power through conventional means. The absenceofscheduledstateelectionsuntil the fall posed a potential crisis for the Nazi party, creating an opportunity for internal conflicts to worsen. Amidst this turmoil, Hitler's charismatic leadership emerged as a stabilizing force, helping him navigate the turbulent waters of politicaldiscontent.
Hitler's charisma was not merely an abstract quality; it manifested in his ability to captivate audiences through powerful oratory and a compelling presence. His speeches were marked by fieryrhetoric,impassioneddelivery,and amagneticappealthatresonatedwiththe frustrations and aspirations of a beleaguered German populace. This charismatic communication style allowed Hitler to connect emotionally
LastDecemberwasthe50th anniversary of the de-medicalization of homosexuality by the American Psychiatric Association and while that mayseemlikeagesago,weshouldlearn from the mistakes that we made then. However, we are not learning from our mistakes, the same pattern of medicalization which happened to gay peopleinthe50s-60sishappeningtoday with trans people. The clinical criteria for gender dysphoria outlined in the
with his followers, instilling in them a senseofpurposeandhope.
Eventhoughargumentscanbemadefor both of thesethings, Undoubtedly, luck, in various guises, also played its part. Timing, for instance, was crucial. Hitler rose to prominence during a period of profound discontent in Germany, exacerbated by the economic turmoil of the Great Depression and the lingering bitterness over the Treaty of Versailles. The political landscape was ripe for a figure who could offer simple solutions tocomplexproblems,andHitlerstepped intothisvoidwithgusto.
Moreover, Hitler's ascentwas facilitated bytheworkofotherkeymemberswithin the Nazi Party, whose efforts often go
DSM-5isjustthecriteriaofbeingtrans coupled with symptoms created by transphobia. This has allowed trans people to be dehumanized and trans experiencestobewrittenofasproducts oftraumaandmentalillnesscreatingthe exact same feedback loop I presented above.Thiscreatesacultureofdenying trans people the healthcare they need under the guise of protecting them and quarantining trans people from society undertheguiseofprotectingothers.As ofwhenIamwritingthis,547anti-trans bills have been introduced in the US since the start of 2024, all built off the pretense that being trans is a mental illnessandnotaconditionofbeing.The medicalization of trans existance is brilliantly illustrated by a quote from Jaques Derrida, when commenting on Foucault he said: “The history of madness itself is the archaeologyof a silence”,thearchaeologyhereisthelong history of medicalization of the queer community which manufacturers the frameworks needed for the silencing of trans experiences and the dehumanizationofthetranscommunity.
overlooked. Figures like Joseph Goebbels, the master propagandist, and HeinrichHimmler,theruthlessenforcer, playedindispensablerolesinshapingthe Nazi movement and consolidating Hitler's power. Goebbels' skillful manipulation of the media helped to propagateNaziideologyandswaypublic opinion,whileHimmler'sorganizationof theSSensuredtheregime'sirongripon powerthroughterrorandintimidation.
Strategic alliances also contributed significantlytoHitler'srise.Thesupport ofinfluentialfigureslikeErnstRöhmand Alfred Hugenberg provided crucial resources and legitimacy to the Nazi Party. The alliance formed between the Nazis and conservative elites, culminating in the Harzburg Front, helpedtopavethewayforHitler'sascent tothechancellorshipin1933.
Widespread disillusionment with the Weimar Republic, coupled with deepseated grievances stemming from Germany'sdefeatinWorldWarIandthe subsequent economic hardships, created fertile ground for Hitler's message of national renewal. Many Germans, desperate for change and susceptible to scapegoating,werewillingtooverlookor rationalize the increasingly authoritarian actions of the Nazi regime in exchange for the promise of stability and prosperity. Thus, while Hitler's ascent was facilitated by various factors, it ultimately rested on the complicity, whethervoluntaryorcoerced,ofanation grapplingwithitsowndemons.
DrEvelynHooker AdolfHitler
SäkkijärvenPolkka
Thepowerofmusic:battleofthefrequencies
TheoldFinnishfolksong,SäkkijärvenPolkkawasrecordedin 1939andisbyfarthemostpopularoftheFinnishfolksongs.It depicts the sorrow of Karelia's (the southeast part of Finland) loss to Russia during the Winter War (1939-1940) while celebratingtheenduring spiritofthe regionthroughitsmusic. However,thejourneyofthissonghadonlyjustcommencedas "Säkkijärven Polkka" became a tool of defense against the Soviet Union during the Continuation War, prompted by Finland's desire to reclaim territories lost in the Winter War. Duringthewar,Finnishsoldiersnoticedlandminesthathadbeen littered throughout the city of Vyborg, previously Finland's second-largest city, so civilians couldn't return to their homes evenafterthetownwasreclaimed.Finnishsoldiersdiscovered that specific radio frequencies could trigger the mines.
Therefore,todeactivatedthesemines,theFinnishsoldiersdrove a "loudspeaker-equipped bus" through the city while blasting Säkkijärven Polkka at 715kHz. The interference between the radio waves of the song and the radio waves of the Soviets renderedthe mines useless. TheSoviets soon discovered what hadhappenedandtripledthenumberoffrequenciesplayingat any one time. In response to this, the Finns decided to blast Säkkijärven Polkka at every frequency the soviets could possiblyuse.Thesongwasplayed1500timesover12days.This ingenioustacticallowedthesaferecaptureofVyborg,withonly 12outof1000minesexploding.Thesong'sthemesoflossand perseveranceresonatedeeplywithFinnishidentity,particularly giventhecountry'semphasisonmilitarystrength,reflectedinits mandatorymilitaryserviceformalecitizens