Historyandfacts

thatknowledgeofthepasthascomedownthroughoneormore
humanminds,hasbeen'processed'bythem,andtherefore
cannotconsistofelementalandimpersonalatomswhichnothing
canalter
allhistoricaljudgementsinvolvepersonsandpointsofview,
oneisasgoodasanotherandthereisno'objective'historical
truth.
twopronouncements
thecleareyedselfconfidence
saddistractedscepticismofthebeatgeneration
Whatishistory
reflectsourownpositionintime
processofreceptionispassive
senseimpressions,impingeontheobserverfromoutsideand
areindependentofhisconsciousness.
Thefactsareavailabletothehistorianindocuments
historicalfact
certainbasicfactswhicharethesameforallhistoriansand
whichform,sotospeak,necessaryconditionofhiswork,but
nothisessentialfunction
basicfactsrestsnotonanyqualityinthefactsthemselves,
allbeenselectedforusbygenerationsofchroniclerswhowere
professionallyoccupiedinthetheoryandpracticeofreligion,
andwhothereforethoughtitsupremelyimportant,andrecorded
everythingrelatingtoit,andnotmuchelse
historyhadnomeaning,butbecausetheybelievedthatits
meaningwasimplicitandselfevident.
'historyisthereenactmentinthehistorian'smindofthe
thoughtwhosehistoryheisstudying'.Thereconstitutionofthe
pastinthehistory,',mindisdependentonempiricalevidence.
Butitisnotinitselfanempiricalprocess,andcannotconsistin
amererecitaloffacts.Onthecontrary,theprocessof
reconstitutiongovernstheselectionandinterpretationofthe
facts:this,indeed,iswhatmakesthemhistoricalfacts
Historymeansinterpretation.
whatthehistoriancatcheswilldepend,partlyonchance,but
mainlyonwhatpartoftheoceanhechoosestofishinandwhat
tacklehechoosestousethesetwofactorsbeing,ofcourse,
determinedbythekindoffishhewantstocatch.
Historycannotbewrittenunlessthehistoriancanachievesome
kindofcontactwiththemindofthoseaboutwhomheis
writing.
historianisobligedtochoose:theuseoflanguageforbidshim
tobeneutral.
Thehistorianstartswithaprovisionalselectionoffacts,anda
provisionalinterpretationinthelightofwhichthatselectionhas
beenmadebyothersaswellasbyhimself.Asheworks,both
theinterpretationandtheselectionandorderingoffactsundergo
subtleandperhapspartlyunconsciouschanges,throughthe
reciprocalactionofoneortheother.Andthisreciprocalaction
alsoinvolvesreciprocitybetweenpresentandpast,sincethe
historianispartofthepresentandthefactsbelongtothepast.
Societyandindivisual
Bothlanguageandenvironmenthelptodeterminethecharacter
ofhisthought
Thehistorian,then,isanindividualhumanbeing.Likeother
individuals,heisalsoasocialphenomenon,boththeproduct
andtheconsciousorunconsciousspokesmanofthesocietyto
whichhebelongs;