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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
A 3 page research paper that explores what constitutes a historical fact, as opposed to interpretation. In his renowned work What is History? E.H. Carr addressed this issue in regards to understanding the work of historians. His lucid, insightful commentary on history provides insights into precisely what constitutes a "fact" in historical analysis. No additional sources cited.
Page Count:
3 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_khwhhis.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
insightful commentary on history provides insights into precisely what constitutes a "fact" in historical analysis. According to common sense, historical facts are obvious. For example, it is an historical
fact that the Battle of Hastings was fought in 1066. Carr argues that the fact that this event took place at this time and this place is, of course, significant
and the good historian should not get such details wrong. However, "To praise a historian for his accuracy is like praising an architect for using well-seasoned timber...It is a necessary
condition of his work, but not his essential function" (8). The function of the historian is to decide which facts from the past are significant, which event impacted future
events. It is the historian who decides that Caesar crossing the Rubicon has significance, while the millions of other people crossing this insignificant stream did not (Carr 9). Carr
points out that the facts of history never come to the reading public in a "pure" form, as they are always refracted through the mind of the person recording the
event, demonstrating that persons personal prejudices and perspective (24). Therefore, Carr maintains that the when one takes up a work of history, the first question in the readers mind should
not be the facts the book contains, but rather with the historian who wrote it (24). For instance, Carr cites the example of a British historian whose history of the
reign of Queen Anne is a clear attempt to validate the history of the Whig party, which is a position that Carr argues is related to the mans family history.
While Carr considers this historians interpretation of historical events to be "valid" and a "faithful interpretation," he also argues that in order to fully appreciate this works full value, "you
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