A Plea for Theoretical History
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 4496161 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Othmar F Anderle (corresponding author) |
| Year | 1964 |
| Volume | 4 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 27 |
| Publication date | 1964-01-01 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | History and Theory (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0018-2656 • E-ISSN: 1468-2303 |
| Publisher | JSTOR (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.2307/2504201 |
| OpenAlex | W2326821206 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
Geoffrey Barraclough, in an essay whose candor of expression attracted much attention and instigated a lively debate, speaks of a false conception of An untenable conception of the meaning and purpose of historical science has led to a quandary; the commandment of the hour compels us to find a way out.' The significance of this remark is obvious. The author of this article is, after all, one of England's most respected contemporary historians. Not long ago, he was called to the Chair for International History at London University as Toynbee's successor. Also, Barraclough was educated in the Rankean tradition of classical historiography, of which he is an exemplary representative. This is not the voice of an outsider, revolutionary, iconoclast, or misfit, who might raise personal incompetence to a claim of principle. Rather, it is the mature insight of a researcher, who has participated actively in, and is partly responsible for, the previous development of the discipline. The impact of this insight is much increased by the fact that this same note of misgiving and which the author insists is indicative of the prevailing attitude in historiography, receives expression in essays, written for the same issue of the Times Literary Supplement by other leading English historians.2 This atmosphere of misgiving and disenchantment is not restricted to English historiography. Its victories have been considerable in Italy and France.3 It has also split American history into two camps; while the smaller has adopted an approach so conservative that it might even be called ret
Epistemology · Plea · Political science · History · Law · Philosophy · Philosophy, History, and Historiography
| Citations per year | 0.07 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 1970 - 1985 (16) |
| Highly cited | No |