UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN AFRICA, BARATON.

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION, HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

DEPARTMENT OF HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCES.

2nd SEMESTER, 2023-2024

INSTRUCTOR: B.M.Kilonzo
COURSE: HIST.380: PHILOSOPHY OF HISTORY
COURSE DESCRIPTION.
The course examines the relationship between history and philosophy; the nature of historical
knowledge; the speculative and analytical philosophy of history; the positivists and relativists
debates on history; historical explanation; objectivity and subjectivity in history; the nature and
function of narrative in historiography; problems of relevancy and importance in historical judgment;
causation in history; scope of historical inquiry; history as re-enactment of past experience and
history as progress; emergency of philosophy of history from the ancient Greeks will also be
discussed.

COURSE-OUTLINE.
1.0: History, Philosophy and Social Sciences (Background of Philosophy of History)
1.1. Defination of history
1.2. Defination of Thought/Philosophy
1.3. Speculative Historical Thought/ Philosophy of history
1.4. Critical Thought/ Philosophy of History
1.5. Relations between history, Philosophy and Social Sciences.
2.1: Causation in History
2.1. The principle of causality
2.2. Regularity
2.3. Determinism
2.4. Indeterminism
2.5. Chance
2.6. The Great man Theory versus the Role of the Masses
2.7. Free Will
2.8. Responsibility
3.0. Historical Fact and Truth
3.1. The conception of historical fact
3.2. Interpretation of historical fact
3.3. Theories of truth in history
4.0. Historical explanation
 4.1. Carl G. Hempel and the function of general laws in history
4.2. Karl Popper’s Critique
4.3. William Dray and the explanation of “what” in history
4.4. Similarities and differences between explanation in history, social and natural science
5.0: Objectivity in History
5.1: Definations of objectivity
5.2. Objectivity versus subjectivity
5.3. Hayden White and the question of historical objectivity and bias
6.0: Interpretations of the Historical process.
6.1. Marxist-Leninist interpretation of history
6.2. Benedetto Croce and contemporary history
6.3. RG Collingwood and the theory of re-enactment
6.4. Arnold Toynbee and the cyclical theory of history
7.0: African Philosophies of History
7.1: Father Placid Temples and the Bantu Philosophy
7.2. John S. Mbiti and the ontological theory of African History
7.3. Ali A. Mazrui and Africa’s Tripple heritage.
7.4. African Proverbs as philosophies of history.
GRADING POLICY

Grade Percentage Points

A 80-100 4.00 (superior)

A- 75-79 3.67

B+ 70-74 3.33

B 65-69 3.00 (Above Average)

B- 60-64 2.67

C+ 55-59 2.33

C 50-54 2.00 (Average)

C- 45-49 1.67

D 40-44 1.00 (Below Average)

F 0-39 0.00 (Failure)

  REQUIREMENTS.

a). Attendance & Participation…………………………..5%

b). Assignments & presentations…….…….…….………10%
c) Quizzes.....................................................................15%
c). Mid-Semester Exams………………….………………10%
d). End-Semester Exams………………………………… 60%
REFERENCES.
E.H Carr, What is History
W.H Walsh, An Introduction to Philosophy of History
Arthur Marwick, The Nature of history
R.G Collingwood, The I dea of History
John S.Mbiti, African Religions and Philosophy
Placide Temples, Bantu Philosophy
Ali. A. Mazrui, The Africans: A Tripple Heritage