The modern historian's dilemma
Conflicting Pressures From Science and Society
Dados Bibliográficos
| ID | 3397997 |
|---|---|
| Autores | François Bédarida, François Bédarıda (Institut d'Histoire du Temps Présent, autor correspondente) |
| Ano | 1987 |
| Volume | 40 |
| Fascículo | 3 |
| Páginas | 335 |
| Data de publicação | 1987-08-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Sim |
| Open Access | Não |
| Tipo | ARTICLE |
| Periódico | The Economic History Review (JOURNAL) |
| Identificadores do periódico | ISSN: 0013-0117 • E-ISSN: 1468-0289 |
| Editora | JSTOR (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.2307/2596249 |
| OpenAlex | W4233959086 |
| Idioma | EN |
| Citações recebidas | 2 |
| Referências citadas | 9 |
Historians in the i980s are subject to strong and conflicting pressures. lOn the one hand they recognize the requirements of scientific method, which involves basic research and thorough investigation without bias or preconceived ideas; hence the insistence upon independent scholarship guided only by an austere ideal: the service of truth. On the other hand, historians experience the demands of a society voracious for historical knowledge and asking for relevance and readability. These demands have encouraged alternative forms of research (applied as well as basic), multiple links with the outside world (including government and many other institutions), and exchanges with the public, accompanied by problems in the transmission of knowledge. In moving in these directions modern historians are inspired by two kinds of motives. One is realism inasmuch as they consider that the alternative might be a total destruction of their discipline. If they chose to live and work only for themselves and between themselves, within the narrow circle of their own species, instead of responding to broader considerations, historians might be condemned to sterility and eventually to extinction. The other motivation is idealism, a felt need that all historians have a duty to respond to the needs of society (in the highest sense) and to make their work as fertile as it is scientific. So the dilemma appears clear. And many historians resent being torn between these two conflicting poles of activity, each one playing the role of a magnet. Some would go as far as translating the contradiction into a choice between the ivory tower and the market place. Others think of it as the sign of an ominous crisis of history and historical studies. In a more optimistic mood others see in the present trend both a proof of vitality in the discipline and an inspiring challenge both for today and for the future. Whether we are pessimists or optimists the situation requires us to rethink our craft, our approach to history, the relation between scholarship and social needs. That is the purpose of this lecture: to dwell for a moment upon our present condition as historians and to provoke a fresh reflection about our work, our methods and our prospects. My contention (if I may put it straightaway) is that, far from being a matter for despondency, this contemporary challenge should fill us with renewed energy and confidence, since historians are at
Dilemma · Economics · Epistemology · Political science · Sociology · Anthropology: Ethics, History, Culture · Contemporary Sociological Theory and Practice · Economic, financial, and policy analysis · Philosophy
| Obras citantes distintas | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citações por ano | 0,05 |
| Intervalo de citações | 1989 - 1989 (1) |
| Velocidade de citação | historical |
| Altamente citado | Não |
| Tipos de citação | Neutras: 1 |