Historiography (The Ends of History)

Undergraduate

This is a lecture course about how to think about history as a form of intellectual life, especially for those entering or exploring it as a major. Is it natural to think historically, or does history itself have a history? Is history a science, dedicated to the discovery of the real truth about the past, or is it an unending contest of different interpretations? Is the best history “objective”? What does that mean? Today in the United States, the uses of history are impossible to escape in our public, political life. Invocations of the legacies of slavery and colonization; warnings about the threat of fascism; appeals to tradition or a return to ‘better’ times: history is everywhere, and it is being put to various, and often conflicting, ends. This discussion-heavy lecture class invites students to think about the ways we can and should use the practice of history in society. Why does history matter? What can it do for us? What do we use it for, and are we using it for the right goals? HU 0 Course cr TTh 2:35pm-3:50pm