*+Philo+of+History

History 200 Dr. Schuster

DEVELOPING A PHILOSOPHY OF HISTORY
// “I start…from the idea of writing history… to extend human sensibilities ….into the going conflict over how people shall live…” // Howard Zinn // “History springs from the human fascination with self-discovery..” // Joyce Appelby, et al   // All history … is contemporary history.”  // Eric Foner = //“History is the interaction between the historian and his [her] facts//.” E.H. Carr = “//’Historians didn’t stick to the facts, the facts stuck to the historians,//’” Appelby, et al. // “True history. . . must influence the future.” // Charles Beard Historians have very different concepts about the **meaning or value of history** and about the **historian’s relationship to the craft of history**. The comments above show that historians believe that the work of history has a larger purpose. Some comments also indicate historians’ ideas about the making of history, in particular, that that the production of history is in the interaction between the ‘self’ and the historical record, or the sources. These various ideas constitute a “philosophy of history.” This assignment asks you to consider and reflect on your philosophy of history, an issue that you may not have fully examined before. ** Part A. ** The first part is a consideration of the ideas raised in the articles about the **meaning and value of history** and about the **making of history**. * What are your thoughts on what Becker, Schaefer, Zinn and Foner have to say about the **purpose** and **value** of history for societies and individuals? This will necessitate a discussion of their main ideas on these two points. * What are your thoughts on the **process** of doing history? The historians suggest that facts do not speak for themselves but that the individual has a key role in making or producing history, in assessing material and formulating interpretations. How can they make this argument? What can the historian bring to the facts? How do their notions about history conflict or compare with ideas you may have had or still hold about the definition of history, its purpose, how it is ‘made’ and the job of the historian? Have your ideas changed? ** Part B. ** To push you to examine the relationship between historian and history, that is, between your own interpretative framework or perspective and the history you do, let’s turn to a recent historical event. How have your perspectives and identities shaped your understanding / your reactions / your interpretations / the meaning you ascribe to   a.  the ongoing debate public debate about gay marriage or gays in the military b. the current debate about health care Your conclusions about these two issues are not important here. How does the interpretation or meaning you have given to this decision reflect your ‘self’, as Becker would say, and emerge from your present world? What specific values, beliefs, ideas, identities and experiences influenced this understanding? Point to the factor/s (family, religion, ethnicity, social class, political beliefs, experiences, etc.,) that produced your present ‘self’ and the belief system from which you regard the world and then reacted to the news about the escalation in troops? Note: we are not interested here in your immediate reaction to the event but in a consideration of your identities. Present your conclusions in a 5-page, double-spaced essay. Please do not quote but use your own words. This is a low-stakes writing assignment. Thoughtfulness required. Be sure to edit. ype in the content of your page here.