Historians know about the past because they examine the evidence. But what exactly is "evidence," how do historians know what it means--and how can we trust them to get it right? Historian David Henige tackles such questions of historical reliability head-on in his skeptical, unsparing, and acerbically witty "Historical Evidence and Argument." "Systematic doubt" is his watchword, and he practices what he preaches through a variety of insightful assessments of historical controversies--for example, over the dating of artifacts and the textual analysis of translated documents. Skepticism, Henige contends, forces us to recognize the limits of our knowledge, but is also a positive force that stimulates new scholarship to counter it.
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Historians know about the past because they examine the evidence. But what exactly is "evidence," how do historians know what it means--and how can we trust them to get it right? Historian David Henige tackles such questions of historical reliability head-on in his skeptical, unsparing, and acerbically witty "Historical Evidence and Argument." "Systematic doubt" is his watchword, and he practices what he preaches through a variety of insightful assessments of historical controversies--for example, over the dating of artifacts and the textual analysis of translated documents. Skepticism, Henige contends, forces us to recognize the limits of our knowledge, but is also a positive force that stimulates new scholarship to counter it.
Imprint | University of Wisconsin Press |
Country of origin | United States |
Release date | 2006 |
Availability | Expected to ship within 10 - 15 working days |
First published | 2006 |
Authors | David Henige |
Dimensions | 161 x 235 x 24mm (L x W x T) |
Format | Hardcover |
Pages | 320 |
ISBN-13 | 978-0-299-21410-4 |
Barcode | 9780299214104 |
Categories | |
LSN | 0-299-21410-9 |