Empiricism Flashcards
List the key figures with empirical history and what they did. (5)
Ranke- founded the discipline. Wrote 60 texts many about national history. Did not write about his philosophy.
Elton: Practice if history and return to essentials, went into methodology of empiricism. 4 principles of history.
Marwick: nature of history
Skinner: criticised Elton’s cult of fact
Abbot: Cromwell, wanted to gather all evidence but couldn’t. His work was incomplete.
What is empiricism? (3)
A way of knowing or organising knowledge.
The past exists independently it is observable and verifiable.
Represent the past objectively and accurately.
3 core tenants of empiricism:
1: Through examination of historical events
2: impartial and unbiased research
3: historians must study all available and relevant primary sources. Only primary sources from the time.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of the examination of historical evidence verified by references?
Advantages: focuses on primary material and prevents over reliance on secondary sources.
Disadvantages: survival of papers is biased towards upper levels of society, papers that survive will be easiest to access. This creates bias in what historians can study.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of impartial research?
Advantages: more accurate depiction of the period in question.
Disadvantages: causation- historians place different values on events and their significance in the wider picture. Disagreement - different interpretations of the same source. Narrative - historians arrange evidence in a way that is not impartial.
What are advantages and disadvantages of studying all available primary sources?
Advantages: more through, sees everything as relevant and means information is less likely to be left out.
Disadvantages: ‘cult of fact’ - how much is enough, you can’t physical see everything. Lack of sources tends to shift focus on the important men in society.
What are Ranke’s contributions to the field? (6)
Created a more professional discipline
Importance of systematic archival research and seminars
Must use every single source available to form an argument about the past. But only primary sources from the time.
Stressed importance of source criticism and corroboration.
Impartial research
Narrative is important and lessons should not be sought from the past.
Criticism of Ranke: (4)
Too obsessed in minute detail.
His own views influenced his work
Eurocentric
Focused on history from above ignore socioeconomic trends.
What are Elton’s 4 points?
1: Questions should not be biased towards an answer
2: Must study all available primary sources (Ranke) study a set of master documents.
3: Historians must remain open to having their opinions changed by a source
4: present ideas in an intelligible form
Criticism of Elton: (2)
Historians should study a set of master documents. Who determines these?
How much research is too much? Cult of fact.
Problems with empiricism: (2)
Only focuses on elite in society and neglect minority groups and women as well as socioeconomic trends. Bias also effects sources.
