The discussion on mentalite is wonderful and enlightening. Lyotard would smile.Ĭhapter Six addresses how historiography works with anthropology, culture, economy, society, et al., while continuing to discuss what makes historical reconstruction arbitrary. He has a lot to say about the idea of “Grand Narratives” here as well. who says it was the “Middle Ages” and who says 1800-1899 was the “19th century”?) historians chose when to begin in time (Origins), where to exit (Outcomes), and what resulted in the cause-and-effect world at that time (Effects). Since human structuring of time is arbitrary (i.e. Chapter Five provides helpful insight into “Origins”, “Effects”, and “Outcomes”. In Chapter Four Arnold discusses things like primary and secondary sources, the nature of a source, and the ways sources can be used in investigation. This chapter explores the history of how sources have been viewed and what historians thought they could accomplish. The pendulum swung the other way as well, but now we hope it has landed somewhere in the middle. Once there was a time when people thought the sources led to the discover of “objective truth”. In Chapter Three we are introduced to sources- the basic building blocks used by historians.
Neither can we act as if accuracy does not matter, so in that sense it must be “true” story. We cannot act like historical reconstruction is exactly “what happened”, so in that sense it is story. Historians chose what data is relevant and they tell a particular story based on their interpretation of the data. One of the great take-aways from this chapter is when he discusses history as “true story”. He shows that history is an interesting project that is neither science or art, but neither is it void of these two poles. In Chapter One he reminds the reader that definitions of “history” can be many and that history has differed over time. Rather than bury you in theory after theory, or even a set if basic principles, he tells stories and he explores with the reader what being a historian looks like in relation to those stories.
Arnold, a history professor at the University of East Anglia.Īrnold has a very welcoming way of introducing the reader to historiography. Enter the fine “A Short Introduction” series printed by Oxford University Press and the particular volume on history written by John H.
I decided that one of the things I need to do over time is read more on the subject of historiography, but I didn’t know where to begin. One thing that was made obvious to me while reading Michael Licona’s The Resurrection of Jesus: A New Historiographical Approach is that I have not thought through what principles guide me as I study history and that I am not alone in that oversight.
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