How would you classify these historians?? (1 Viewer)

[PhiL]

How would you classify these historians. IE, are they post-modernists etc.
- Hayden White
- RIchard Evans
- Ranke
- Jenkins

 

[Ziff]

Ranke - Empiricist

I'll get back to you later.

 

[Plebeian]

White and Jenkins are post modernists, two of the most important.

Richard Evans is mainly an empiricist, with some relativist leanings (like most modern empiricists have).

 

[Sarah168]

whoa! out of all the historians u listed i only know about ranke

 

[nessie_lee]

yeah i know me 2... and can someone explain what an empiricist is?

 

[Sarah168]

it should be explained in that warren book...too lazy to look it up now...

 

[Plebeian]

Empiricists are historians who believe that historical objectivity is attainable and desirable. They believe that there was a real history and that not every interpretation of the past is equal: interpretations must be supported by historical evidence.

Basically, empiricists are looking to find the absolutely true version of what happened, based on the evidence.

 

[Sarah168]

but then again it could be argued that ranke was not completely objective as he write from a one sided point of view with biased content due to his pro prussian and conservative nature...

 

[Plebeian]

Yes, most empiricists probably aren't truly objective but they aim for it, in theory at least.

 

[nessie_lee]

ta for that Techie.... and no, i can't look it up in the Warren book, we don't have it!! lol