Name: ____________________________

HIST 3311

What Is History?

1. What is positivism? Where and when did it originate? What does it imply about “facts”?

When doing sociological studies, positivists take the philosophical stance that one can only know

as much about social phenomena as can be gleaned from objective, observable, and recordable data,

much as one would in the scientific sciences (Masel, 2022). However, it is obvious that the French

Enlightenment, which emphasized the bright light of reason, and the British empiricism of the 18th

century, especially that of Hume, as well as of Bishop George Berkeley, which emphasized the

importance of sensory experience, are the immediate ancestors of positivism.

2. How does Carr define historical facts? What problems arise when trying to decide what facts

to use?

Carr thinks of facts as sacks that collapse without "something" in them. The "something" is a

challenge posed to the proof. "The facts speak when the history calls on companions: he who

determines what facts to give the floor to, and in what sequence or context," argues Carr.

3. According to Carr, if there is no “objective historical truth,” what is history?

Carr contends that historical accounts necessarily involve the interpretive and evaluative

processes of the historian before they can be called "objective" or "unbiased." As he sees it, history is

defined by the interpreters' prejudices, whether they are conscious or unconscious.

4. Name two “neglected truths” in history that Carr identifies.

 A historian without sources is a wandering, fruitless fool, and a collection of facts without a

story to tell is lifeless and meaningless. Thus, history is an ongoing conversation between the present

and the past, with the historian acting as a mediator and interpreter.

5. What does Carr identify as “the cult of progress”? Why is this prob d interpreter?

Action."lematic?

Carr stresses the need to not limit progress to a beginning or conclusion. He thinks this shows a

flaw in our prior conception of historical progress, especially in the arrogance of 19th-century Britain.

6. What makes a good history?

Historians believe that the best histories always keep the available possibilities in mind. It is

crucial to have accurate information, both in terms of technical details and historical context. Despite

the significance of the facts themselves, the reasoning behind them is frequently more crucial. People

bring their prior experience and current concerns, both individuals and as part of institutions, to a

meeting, a project, or the creation of any new venture.

 Reference

Masel, R. (2022). Skeletons in the Hebrew Closet: Yiddish Translations of" In the City of Killing" by YL

Peretz and ḤN Bialik and the Conflict over Revival. Prooftexts, 39(3), 341-384.