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Historical Representation

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Redefines traditional approach to historical writing.

Recommendation: This book is a must-read for anyone interested in historical writing as it challenges the conventional understanding of the discipline. The author argues that historical representation is essentially aesthetic and proposes a rationalist aesthetics of historical writing in order to find a balance between the literary approach and empiricism. By drawing on the ideas of influential contemporary historical theorists like Erich Auerbach and Hayden White, the book offers a fresh and insightful perspective on the discipline of history.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.
Sale

Historical Representation

Regular price $18.17 Now $12.72 Save 30%
Unit price
per
ISBN: 9780804739801
Estimated First-hand Retail Price: $55.65
Authors: Frank Ankersmit
Date of Publication: 2002-01-02
Format: Paperback
Related Collections: Philosophy, History
Goodreads rating: 3.92
(rated by 12 readers)

Description

This book fully recognizes the aestheticism inherent in historical writing while acknowledging its claim to satisfy the demands of rational and scientific inquiry. Focusing on the notion of representation and on the necessity of distinguishing between representation and description, it argues that the traditional semantic apparatus of meaning, truth, and reference that we use for description must be redefined if we are to understand properly the nature of historical writing. The author shows that historical representation is essentially aesthetic, though its adequacy can be discussed rationally. He defines the criteria for representational adequacy, and examines the relationship between these criteria and value judgments. He also investigates the historicist conception of historical writing and the notions of identity and narrativity. This investigation takes place against the backdrop of the ideas of four of the most influential contemporary historical Erich Auerbach, Arthur Danto, Hayden White, and Jörn Rüsen. The book aims to identify and to explore for historical theory the juste milieu between the extravagances of the literary approach to historical writing and the narrow-mindedness of empiricists. The search for this juste milieu leads to a rationalist aesthetics of historical writing, a position that repeats both the aesthetic dimension of all historical writing and the criteria defining the rationality of the discipline of history.
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Similar Reads

Redefines traditional approach to historical writing.

Recommendation: This book is a must-read for anyone interested in historical writing as it challenges the conventional understanding of the discipline. The author argues that historical representation is essentially aesthetic and proposes a rationalist aesthetics of historical writing in order to find a balance between the literary approach and empiricism. By drawing on the ideas of influential contemporary historical theorists like Erich Auerbach and Hayden White, the book offers a fresh and insightful perspective on the discipline of history.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.