In this course we will look into the various philosophical considerations that come into play as historians practice their craft of detailing the events that happened in the past. Among the philosophical considerations to be discussed, there is the question of how best to structure one’s historical narrative, if at all; how to compensate for gaps in the historical record; how do we surmise or infer the intent of historical actors if it is unknown; and finally, though not exhaustively, how do we recognize and correct for potential bias that may affect the first hand accounts that historians rely upon. Another issue to be broached will be the relationship between history and science. Is history a properly scientific discipline? If so, how so, and if not, how does it differ and in what way does this affect the status and nature of that which historians claim to know about the past?
Course syllabus.