Telling the Truth About History
By: and and
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- Synopsis
- Three historians here team up for a worthy, demanding foray into the battle over the academy, taking on "both the relativists on the left and the defenders of the status quo ante on the right." The authors argue that skepticism and relativism about truth, in science, history and politics, stems from the democratization of American society and higher education. They survey the "heroic model" of science produced in the Enlightenment, the roots of relativism in Hegel, and the influence of Marx, Durkheim and Weber on latter-day historical schools. They tackle the virtuous mythologies of American history, and critiques by progressives like Charles Beard and post-WW II social historians. They also cite 1960s historians of science who launched politicized critiques and postmodernists who attacked claims of objectivity. The authors urge historians to have a "stronger, more self-reflexive and interactive sense of objectivity." In a final chapter addressing "political correctness" and multiculturalism, the authors sensibly call for a middle ground, but diminish their message with a paucity of models.
- Copyright:
- 1994
Book Details
- Book Quality:
- Excellent
- Book Size:
- 322 Pages
- ISBN-13:
- 9780393312867
- Publisher:
- W. W. Norton & Company, Incorporated
- Date of Addition:
- 07/08/10
- Copyrighted By:
- Joyce Appleby, Lynn Hunt, and Margaret Jacob
- Adult content:
- No
- Language:
- English
- Has Image Descriptions:
- No
- Categories:
- History, Nonfiction
- Submitted By:
- Trans Access
- Proofread By:
- Trans Access
- Usage Restrictions:
- This is a copyrighted book.
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