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    Reading Assignment #1

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    Beth
    The document discusses different approaches to history - Idealism, Historicism, and Relativism. Idealism focuses on ideas and intentions but can limit accuracy. Historicism respects the autonomy of the past but risks legitimizing past wrongs. Relativism sees all views as valid but not all views are ethical or acceptable. Historians should approach events objectively using evidence and understanding causation. They should present an accurate chronological narrative while censoring unacceptable views and avoiding manipulation to convince readers without bias.

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    Reading Assignment #1

    Uploaded by

    Beth
    443 views2 pages
    The document discusses different approaches to history - Idealism, Historicism, and Relativism. Idealism focuses on ideas and intentions but can limit accuracy. Historicism respects the autonomy of the past but risks legitimizing past wrongs. Relativism sees all views as valid but not all views are ethical or acceptable. Historians should approach events objectively using evidence and understanding causation. They should present an accurate chronological narrative while censoring unacceptable views and avoiding manipulation to convince readers without bias.

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    Reading assignment for History 1

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    The document discusses different approaches to history - Idealism, Historicism, and Relativism. Idealism focuses on ideas and intentions but can limit accuracy. Historicism respects the autonomy of the past but risks legitimizing past wrongs. Relativism sees all views as valid but not all views are ethical or acceptable. Historians should approach events objectively using evidence and understanding causation. They should present an accurate chronological narrative while censoring unacceptable views and avoiding manipulation to convince readers without bias.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    443 views2 pages

    Reading Assignment #1

    Uploaded by

    Beth
    The document discusses different approaches to history - Idealism, Historicism, and Relativism. Idealism focuses on ideas and intentions but can limit accuracy. Historicism respects the autonomy of the past but risks legitimizing past wrongs. Relativism sees all views as valid but not all views are ethical or acceptable. Historians should approach events objectively using evidence and understanding causation. They should present an accurate chronological narrative while censoring unacceptable views and avoiding manipulation to convince readers without bias.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    of 2

    NALAM, Beth A.

    January 6, 2021
    BSN 2 – ND

    READING ASSIGNMENT #1: Defining History by Robert Milton Underwood Jr.


    Guide Questions:

    1. What is the Idealism approach?


    As stated by Robert Underwood Jr. himself, Idealism asserts that “history can be described
    in terms of ideas--what people thought and the intent behind their actions”. For the
    idealists, only ideas are real since it doesn’t change and are indestructible. So, idealists
    around late 1800s attached meaning to the events that transpired at the time however,
    these meanings may not entirely be devoid of biases.

    2. How does Idealism limit the portrayal of history?


    History is but a small chunk of all the things that happened in the past. If it were to be
    examined under an idealist perspective, problems such as accuracy and credibility of
    information arises. People’s accounts of certain events may not be as accurate and as
    Underwood has said, “we can’t always know what was intended”. This is because idealism is
    generally an abstract and vague ideology wherein it avoids realities.

    3. What is Historicism approach?


    On the other hand, Historicism claims that we should respect the autonomy of the past
    according to John Tosh. Past events happened due to the values that were held important at
    the time as well as the local culture and historical period. We should consider the context of
    the idea/ event as well as the conditions that surrounded it at that point in time when using
    a historical approach in studying the past.

    4. How does Historicism inhibit us from learning the “mistakes” of the past?
    This approach encourages respecting the values of the period being studied and this
    “legitimizes” the happenings of the past—including the awful and unjustifiable ones. It says
    that events are influenced by historical conditions rather than by the people. With my
    elementary understanding of this approach, Historicism spoke to me saying that whatever
    happened in the past, because it was done with this certain value in mind, it was subjectively
    acceptable.

    Political philosopher, Leo Strauss, even talked about how historicists fail to address real-life
    issues such as tyranny by making all ethical problems subjective to their socio-material
    conditions. Strauss even goes as far as blaming this approach for the advent of Nazism and
    Communism. This is further back by Robert Underwood in Defining History who says, “When
    meaning takes on a life of its own and affects viewpoints that lead to ideologies that lead to
    atrocious actions, then you have what humanity experienced with Nazi Germany”.

    5. What is the Relativism approach?


    According to this approach, an absolute truth does not exist and that all views of history are
    valid. Underwood likened Relativism to the multi-faceted diamond wherein each facet
    represents a unique view of the whole and are all true or valid. This is because each person
    sees the world with a different viewpoint. This theory holds that events and morality are
    relative to the norms of a particular group of people.
    6. What are the issues to consider when using the Relativism approach? How should
    historians present history?
    This approach in the scrutiny of history must be used carefully because not all of the
    viewpoints provided by Relativism are acceptable or even ethical. Take for example, the
    perspective that denies the existence of the gruelling Holocaust—as supported by
    Underwood, this view should not even be relevant or worthy of respect because of the way
    that it invalidates the struggle and a significantly dark time for Jews.

    There is no objective standard that can be used to judge one societal code better than
    another. Our society’s moral code has no special status, and it is merely one among the
    various ones. This is why we must also remember that universality does not equate to
    validity because beliefs based on consensus may be subject to errors. One of the greatest
    hurdles that historians have gone through is accurate representation of historical events so
    it would be logical for them to approach these events at an objective viewpoint as much as
    possible. It may even be lost in translation as these accounts go through different
    interpretations so having solid evidence can sometimes help. However, these physical
    evidence and scientific methods may not applicable at all times so it would be best to obtain
    both primary and secondary sources.

    In addition to that, historians must have an accurate understanding of causation by


    differentiating what is necessary and sufficient. The way that they showcase history to us
    commonfolk is also important in a way that they will be accepted as convincing without
    room for conspiracies. Manipulation of evidence by historians, especially as revision, is
    discouraged since they couldn’t fill in the gaps that were left behind by the past.

    So, as people who are in charge of examining a handful of past events, historians should
    view them with an analytical approach using undebatable evidence. Historians must
    research, study and collect data, and record it without bias but with censorship when
    deemed necessary. Historical accounts should be presented in a chronological and narrative
    form with a clear definition of the context of each.

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