Part 1. Historical method and source criticism Flashcards
According to the principles of source criticism, relics are generally less credible than narratives.
False
The __________ a source is to the event which it describes, the more it can be trusted.
closer
When two sources disagree on a particular point, we should prefer the one with the most ____________________.
authority
A primary source is more reliable than a secondary source, while a secondary source is more reliable
than a tertiary source, so on and so forth.
True
Even if most sources relate one version of events, it will not prevail unless it passes the test of
___________________.
Critical textual analysis
It is a psychological fact that all people, even historians, have biases. According to the principles, how should biases
be handled?
They must be minimized or supplemented with opposite motivations
The current year is 2024 CE. What does CE stand for?
Common Era
CE is currently considered as the proper notation for our calendar system. Previously, it was AD. What does AD
stand for?
Anno Domini
It’s not technically wrong to use Before Christ instead of BCE, the current accepted notation, but can we also use
After Death when we mean to refer to CE?
No
True or false: 2024 is part of the 20th century
False
If part of a source’s story can be confirmed by reference to outside authorities, we can confirm it in its entirety, as a
general principle.
Yes
When two sources disagree and there is no other means of evaluation, we use __________________.
Common Sense
Inquiries concerning when and where a source was produced concern ___________ criticism.
External
The testimony of two eyewitnesses are increased if they are:
unknown to each other, even though there may be unimportant inconsistencies in their accounts
An example of a relic?
Teeth
The question that perhaps it is impossible to ever truly know anything about the past is raised in the philosophy of history as a question of what?
epistemology
hold more credibility, the diary of a historical subject or the stories shared about him by one of his contemporaries?
the diary
is not an example of a relic?
newspaper reports
Relics are more credible sources than narratives because:
•relics have no agenda
•narratives can be easily changed or even fabricated
•a relic does not have a bias
The _________ a source is to the event which it purports to describe, the more one can trust it to give an accurate description of what actually happened.
closer
When two sources disagree on a particular point, we should prefer the source with the most
authority
