Time and Location
Monday 3:00-6:00 PM
Flint 111
Description
“The past is a foreign country” (David Lowenthal). While there is a great desire to explore it, it is equally important to look at the maps which have been used for its exploration. This course presents a survey of the historiography in the Western tradition. Its organization shows that history writing has been an integral part of all phases through which that tradition went. In fact, it has been a fundamental part of what came to be known as the “West.” An exploration of historiography therefore implies taking into account the contexts in which views were formulated and changed on what history is and how it should be remembered and (re)presented. The basic chronological approach adopted in this course is meant to emphasize that contextual quality of historiography and to give an opportunity to demonstrate influences from one period to another. However, a purely chronological approach presents a great temptation of a mere narrative that simply relates one view after the other. We will avoid that temptation by analyzing each period’s historiography in a systematic manner. The elements of that analysis reflect the continuity of concerns with certain questions prescribed by the structure of human life itself. Who were the prominent historians of any given period? What were the life circumstances that shaped their outlook (social, economic, political status)? What were the important works of the historical period? What were the dominant epistemological views (methodology, assumptions, views on objectivity). What were the foci of historical work (e.g., political, military, social history), and why were those preferred over others? What were the predominant views about the usefulness of history? What were the styles and forms of writing history, and what were the relations between history and other disciplines or fields of human activity? How did historians approach the concept of “person” and what elements of continuity with other periods may be identified? Treated in this manner, the history of history writing can avoid becoming a mere story-type account or an ahistorical collection of samples for the application of methods.
Required texts
- Ernst Breisach. Historiography. Ancient, Medieval, and Modern. 3d edition. Chicago: Chicago University Press, 2007 [hereafter Breisach]
- Donald Kelley (ed.). Versions of History From the Antiquity to the Enlightenment. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1991 [hereafter Kelley].
- Fritz Stern (ed.), The Varieties of History From Voltaire to the Present. New York: Vintage Books, 1973 [hereafter Stern]
In addition, there will be articles in pdf format accessible from Canvas (elearning.ufl.edu), as well as ad hoc and individual reading assignments as needed.
Assignments and evaluation:
There are three basic assignments and elements of evaluation for this course. First, before every class meeting, you will post an e-mail message on my address (see my main page), in which you will discuss briefly the readings for the coming meeting, ask questions and/or make comments, raise issues that need clarification, etc. All e-mails should arrive at least 12 hours before class meetings. Be sure to keep your postings to a reasonable length (175 to 250 words long). Because the journal is designed to demonstrate your efforts towards an initial understanding of the readings, I must have in time one report for each class meeting, every week. Each journal needs to cover all the readings for the week–Breisach, Kelley, Stern, and/or the articles on Canvas. The reading journal represents 50 percent of your final grade, 4.5 percent for each entry. Reading reports cannot be made up; you simply need to have a journal entry for every class meeting. Be aware that missed reports may result in a substantially lower grade.
Second, you will be required to analyze critically the work of a well-known historian. Using the works of that historian and critical commentaries on it, you will show that you can assess historical works, their methodology and interpretive foundations. This assignment will take the form a 3-5 page essay and will count for 15 percent of your overall grade. Third, you will work on a longer, 20-30 page research paper on a topic approved by me. It is highly recommended that you choose a topic related to your own research interests leading to the M.A. thesis or the Ph.D. dissertation: the historiography of a particular problem, debates surrounding a specific historical issue, the history of a specific method employed in historiographic research, the historiographic tradition of a particular country in Europe or outside Europe, etc. The format of the paper must conform to the rules of the Chicago Manual of Style. The timely completion of the paper will be part of its evaluation. The research paper counts for 35 percent of your final grade. In writing papers, be certain to give proper credit whenever you use words, phrases, ideas, arguments, and conclusions drawn from someone else’s work. Failure to give credit by quoting and/or footnoting is plagiarism and is unacceptable.