C.Behan McCullagh - The Truth of History (1997), Historia(2)(1)
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The Truth of History
When historians describe or explain past events, is there any sense in which those
descriptions and explanations can be said to give a true and fair account of the
past? Cultural relativism and postmodern writing on the nature of language have
cast doubt upon the possibility of written history being true.
The Truth of History
by C.Behan McCullagh considers the question of how modern historians, confined
by the concepts and forms of argument of their own cultures, can still discover
truths about the past. Through an examination of the constraints of history, the
author argues that although historical descriptions do not mirror the past they can
correlate with it in a regular and definable way.
The Truth of History
presents a study of various historical explanations and
interpretations and evaluates their success as accounts of the past. C.Behan
McCullagh argues that the variety of historical interpretations and their
subjectivity does not exclude the possibility of their fairness and truth. He also
offers a fresh analysis of causes and causal explanation in history, and defends
the value of historical knowledge in helping us to appraise our social and cultural
inheritance.
C.Behan McCullagh presents a thorough examination of the practice of history
and debates the important issues commanding the attention of philosophers and
historians today. The author argues that historians achieve a measure of truth which
recent critics have ignored. He defends a position between the two extremes of
believing that history perfectly represents the past and that history can tell us
nothing about it that is true.
C.Behan McCullagh
is Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at La Trobe University,
Australia. He was formerly Lecturer in History at Melbourne University. He has
published many articles on philosophy of history, and the book
Justifying Historical
Descriptions.
The Truth of History
C.Behan McCullagh
London and New York
First published 1998
by Routledge
11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE
This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2003.
Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada
by Routledge
29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001
© 1998 C.Behan McCullagh
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or
reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic,
mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter
invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any
information storage or retrieval system, without permission in
writing from the publishers.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the
British Library
Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication Data
McCullagh, C.Behan
The Truth of History/McCullagh.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. History—Philosophy. 2. History—Methodology.
I. Title.
016.8.M386
1997
97–8185
901–dc21
CIP
ISBN 0-203-44875-8 Master e-book ISBN
ISBN 0-203-75699-1 (Adobe eReader Format)
ISBN 0-415-17110-5 (hbk)
ISBN 0-415-17111-3 (pbk)
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The Truth of History
When historians describe or explain past events, is there any sense in which those
descriptions and explanations can be said to give a true and fair account of the
past? Cultural relativism and postmodern writing on the nature of language have
cast doubt upon the possibility of written history being true.
The Truth of History
by C.Behan McCullagh considers the question of how modern historians, confined
by the concepts and forms of argument of their own cultures, can still discover
truths about the past. Through an examination of the constraints of history, the
author argues that although historical descriptions do not mirror the past they can
correlate with it in a regular and definable way.
The Truth of History
presents a study of various historical explanations and
interpretations and evaluates their success as accounts of the past. C.Behan
McCullagh argues that the variety of historical interpretations and their
subjectivity does not exclude the possibility of their fairness and truth. He also
offers a fresh analysis of causes and causal explanation in history, and defends
the value of historical knowledge in helping us to appraise our social and cultural
inheritance.
C.Behan McCullagh presents a thorough examination of the practice of history
and debates the important issues commanding the attention of philosophers and
historians today. The author argues that historians achieve a measure of truth which
recent critics have ignored. He defends a position between the two extremes of
believing that history perfectly represents the past and that history can tell us
nothing about it that is true.
C.Behan McCullagh
is Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at La Trobe University,
Australia. He was formerly Lecturer in History at Melbourne University. He has
published many articles on philosophy of history, and the book
Justifying Historical
Descriptions.
The Truth of History
C.Behan McCullagh
London and New York
First published 1998
by Routledge
11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE
This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2003.
Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada
by Routledge
29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001
© 1998 C.Behan McCullagh
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or
reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic,
mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter
invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any
information storage or retrieval system, without permission in
writing from the publishers.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the
British Library
Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication Data
McCullagh, C.Behan
The Truth of History/McCullagh.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. History—Philosophy. 2. History—Methodology.
I. Title.
016.8.M386
1997
97–8185
901–dc21
CIP
ISBN 0-203-44875-8 Master e-book ISBN
ISBN 0-203-75699-1 (Adobe eReader Format)
ISBN 0-415-17110-5 (hbk)
ISBN 0-415-17111-3 (pbk)
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]