Testimony and Historical Knowledge - Authority, Evidence and Ethics in Historiography

This Element explores the relation between historiography and testimony as a question about what it means to know and understand the past historically. In contrast with the recent rapprochement between memory accounts and history in historical theory, the Element argues for the importance of attending to conceptually distinct relations to past actions and events in historical thinking compared with testimony. The conceptual distinctiveness of history is elucidated by placing historical theory in dialogue with the epistemology of testimony and classical philosophy of history. By clarifying the rejection of testimony inherent in the evidential paradigm of modern historical research, this Element provides a thoroughgoing account of the ways in which historical knowledge and understanding relates to testimony. The argument is that the role of testimony in historiography is fundamentally shaped by the questioning-activity at the core of critical historical research. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

Sommario

1. Introduction; 2. From authority to evidence; 3. Testimony and facts; 4. Testimony, understanding and ethics; 5. Conclusion; Bibliography.

Dettagli sul prodotto

• Autori: Jonas Ahlskog, Jonas (Abo Akademi University Ahlskog
• Editore: Cambridge University Press ELT
• Lingue: Inglese
• Formato: Tascabile
• Pubblicazione: 31.08.2025
• EAN: 9781009447027
• ISBN: 978-1-0-0944702-7
• Pagine: 76
• Serie: Elements in Historical Theory and Practice
• Categorie: Saggistica > Storia > Altro; Scienze umane, arte, musica > Storia > Tematiche generali, enciclopedie; History of Ideas, History: theory & methods, HISTORY / Historiography, General & world history, Historiography, General and world history, History: theory and methods, Ethical issues, topics and debates