Theory, History, Asia and Empire

4 units

In this seminar we consider how historically minded scholars use the theoretical insights of others to enrich their tellings of the past. First we read, summarize in writing, and discuss our understanding of a particular theoretical essay. Then we read a work of history that makes specific use of the essay. This approach provides us with the opportunity to practice writing about our theoretical work, compare our understanding with scholars who have made use of the same set of ideas, and assess their use of those ideas.