Science
Ext. History Revision
History- What historians chose to interpret from the surviving evidence of the past
Source + Historians = Histories
All historians have their own views and interests due to their upbringing hence that the process of selection and interpretation distorts our ‘knowledge’ further.
Issues in historiography
Training of historians
Objectivity in history
Oral societies and history
Problems of historical research
Universal history
Evidence- selection
Source- How?
Truth- Consensuses
Context/ Perspectives
Selection- Who decides?
Interpretation
Revision
Ideology- Reputation, perspective, emerging ideas, lack of evidence
Language and technique- To place emphasis and how historians chose to say
Methodology- How the way you put the sources? (cross-examine, verification)
Facts in history
History from ‘above or below’
Motive
Judgement- Whose?
Audience
Linguistics
History and Ideology- Political beliefs influence
Explicit vs. Implicit
Something clearly or implied
Form of literature- poems, speech
“What are historical facts?” – Carl Becker
1. History is subjective- personal desires and prejudices (history changes along with society’s values)
2. History is interpreted differently between people (interpreting what in the past is though)
3. History cannot be re-enacted as a series of events
4. History is written on how much the Historian can extract from the evidence and his knowledge- background, audience, purpose, motive.
5. History is pre-occupied with ‘cold’ and ‘hard’ facts and not small detail (the obvious history)
Case Study: Herodotus
The historian
Born at Halicarnassus (485 BC – 425 BC)
Exiled due to conspiring against Persians
Merchant and traveller
Greek Historian
Cannot be free form bias (critical judgement)
Educated (upper class)
Harnessed ill feelings towards Persian
Motive and Purpose for Writing
“These are the researches of Herodotus of Halicarnassus, which he publishes,
History- What historians chose to interpret from the surviving evidence of the past
Source + Historians = Histories
All historians have their own views and interests due to their upbringing hence that the process of selection and interpretation distorts our ‘knowledge’ further.
Issues in historiography
Training of historians
Objectivity in history
Oral societies and history
Problems of historical research
Universal history
Evidence- selection
Source- How?
Truth- Consensuses
Context/ Perspectives
Selection- Who decides?
Interpretation
Revision
Ideology- Reputation, perspective, emerging ideas, lack of evidence
Language and technique- To place emphasis and how historians chose to say
Methodology- How the way you put the sources? (cross-examine, verification)
Facts in history
History from ‘above or below’
Motive
Judgement- Whose?
Audience
Linguistics
History and Ideology- Political beliefs influence
Explicit vs. Implicit
Something clearly or implied
Form of literature- poems, speech
“What are historical facts?” – Carl Becker
1. History is subjective- personal desires and prejudices (history changes along with society’s values)
2. History is interpreted differently between people (interpreting what in the past is though)
3. History cannot be re-enacted as a series of events
4. History is written on how much the Historian can extract from the evidence and his knowledge- background, audience, purpose, motive.
5. History is pre-occupied with ‘cold’ and ‘hard’ facts and not small detail (the obvious history)
Case Study: Herodotus
The historian
Born at Halicarnassus (485 BC – 425 BC)
Exiled due to conspiring against Persians
Merchant and traveller
Greek Historian
Cannot be free form bias (critical judgement)
Educated (upper class)
Harnessed ill feelings towards Persian
Motive and Purpose for Writing
“These are the researches of Herodotus of Halicarnassus, which he publishes,