06-15-2009, 11:25 PM
Quote:What Cartledge and Holland have in common, is that they believe that history is "telling a story based on sources", whereas it also involves knowledge of "what is a cause?", "what type of explanation do you have in mind?", or "what is a fact?"
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For the moment, I have called it semi-history, but it is a poor expression. Anyone any thoughts?
Clear case, they are positivists, that is they believe that facts speak for themselves and thus do not need to have a sound theoretical basis or justification. The opposite view is that there are no facts without/beyond theory. I am a supporter of the later stance, and as such, I often find it really frustrating to argue with people who are insufficiently aware of the conditions of their own reasoning. It's like explaining the world to children.
Stefan (Literary references to the discussed topics are always appreciated.)
