Approaching Historical Truth: Methods and Evidence in History Writing
In this seminar we will learn about how historians have approached problems of evidence and explanation. We will consider methodologies that historians have adapted from other disciplines, including the natural and social sciences as well as literary and cultural studies. We will also consider what distinguishes historical from fictional narratives. In the first part of the course we will explore the role of social and institutional power in shaping historians’ approaches to evidence, with special attention to the role of archives. In the second, we will examine a recent historical controversy or a single historical study for its argument and presentation of evidence. In the final part, students will design and execute their own research projects. Seminar.