Hayden white is a historian in the tradition of literary criticism, perhaps most famous for his work metahistory. Hayden white s critique of the writing of history 275 to a detailed critique i offer an outline of the reception of his work among historians and literary critics. The historical imagination in nineteenthcentury europe 1973. Hayden white metahistory the historical imagination in nineteenthcentury europe pdf in white s view, beyond the surface level of the historical text, there is a deep structural, or latent, content that is generally poetic and metahistory.
The holocaust and problems of historical representation. The historical imagination in nineteenthcentury europe is a work of historiography by hayden white first published in 1973. From chronicle to story the series of events as recorded in chronicle or annal is shaped into something with a beginning, a middle and an end. The following entry presents an overview of white s career through 2000. That is, it can be used to provide the theoretical arguments that justify the. In practice, he believes that the different modes correlate as follows i. Hayden white, one of the most important figures of the last century in the historical discipline, helped to undermine this idea. Hayden white s 1973 metahistory tossed the entire concept of historical science out the window, claiming that historians are fundamentally artists who imbue historical action with aesthetic and ethical purpose. However, they serve as an important reminder that any representation of the past is inevitably. For more on the shift to new cultural history and intellectual history in the 1980s, see neubauer, cultural history after foucault and hollinger, american intellectual history. Hayden white s works are perhaps understandably controversial, as he helped to undermine longheld ideas regarding the scientific nature of history. It also celebrated the ethics and art of history writing and. So natural is the impulse to narrate, so inevitable is the form of. The historical imagination printerfriendly version pdf version.
Both groups have responded to and influenced white s interdisciplinary project. In his essays the burden of history 1966, interpretation in history 1972, the historical text as literary artefact 1974, the value of narrativity in the. The book urged historians to grapple with whether and how their writing creates rather than reflects reality. In his essays the burden of history 1966, interpretation in history 1972, the historical text as literary artefact 1974, the value of narrativity in the representation of reality 1980 and getting out of history 1982, hayden white discusses the main tenets of his theory of historiography, narrativity and, inevitably. Hayden white july 12, 1928 march 5, 2018 was an american historian in the tradition of literary criticism, perhaps most famous for his work metahistory. Hayden white on history and the philosophy of history. The reflexive test of hayden white s metahistory article in history and theory 531 february 2014 with 1,256 reads how we measure reads. Hayden white for absolute beginners university of oxford.
Claims by historians that history is both an art and a science are used to avoid the rigor appropriate to the sciences and to remain blind to the. Subramani, anurag 2016 hayden white and the burden of history. Hayden white and the burden of history usp electronic. White for better than a century many historians have found it useful to employ a fabian tactic against critics in related fields of intellectual endeavor.
Hayden white in history and theory wiley online library. Click download or read online button to get hayden white s metahistory book now. Hayden white, the burden of history tropics of discourse. White american historian, critic, essayist, and editor. It marked what came to be known as the linguistic turn in historical theory, and has inspired legions of acolytes whose reverence for the master at times verges on embarrassing. History writing matches literary writing through narrativity. This element is, i believe, inexpungeable from discourse in the human. White thinks that in principle any of the modes of emplotment can be combined with any of the modes of argument and any of the modes of ideology thus in principle one could have a history written as mechanistic anarchist comedy. It marked what came to be known as the linguistic turn in historical theory, and has inspired legions of acolytes whose reverence for the master at. Hayden whites return to the past as a source of human.
Hayden white is a controversial figure in the world of history. The burden of our history download ebook pdf, epub. The value of narrativity in the representation of reality hayden white to raise the question of the nature of narrative is to invite reflection on the very nature of culture and, possibly, even on the nature of humanity itself. Hayden white in history and theory virtual issue, may 2018 contribute to the hayden v. Vico, croce, derrida, and foucault are among the figures he assesses in this work, which also offers original interpretations of a number of literary themes, including the wild man and the noble savage. Pdf hayden white and the burden of history semantic scholar. The value of narrativity in the representation of reality.
Hayden white and the burden of history usp electronic research. Hayden white, the burden of history, history and theory 5. The historical imagination in nineteenthcentury europe 19732014. In his essays the burden of history 1966, interpretation in history 1972, the historical text as literary artefact 1974, the value of narrativity in the representation of reality 1980 and getting out of history 1982, hayden white discusses the main tenets of his theory of historiography, narrativity and, inevitably, the relationship between the history. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. In this classic work, white argues that a deep structural content lies beyond the surface level of historical texts. We thrive on questions perhaps even more than we thrive on answers, and it is namely the more problematic issuesculture, society, and history, among othersthat intrigue and baffle us.
In a 1966 publication hayden white wrote about historiographys internal contradictions and emphasized the need to leave behind the nineteenthcentury burden of history. Study any textbook on the theory and philosophy of history, and you will be assured that his 1973 book metahistory marked a revolutionary turning point in historical theory. Marx, by contrast, purports to be able to predict the specific form of the next phase of the whole process by a similarly organicist integration of all of the significant data of social history. In the burden of history 1966 hayden white attacked contemporary historians for failing to adapt history to the present age. The discovery of historicity in german idealism and historism. This article argues that hayden white s vision of historiography can be appropriated for the public use of history in many ethnic and nationalist conflicts today.
Hayden white, traumatic nationalism, and the public role of history1. Essays in cultural criticism, hayden white discusses the problems and promises of history. Literary criticism historian and comparative literature professor at stanford. This latent poetic and linguistic content which white dubs the metahistorical element essentially serves as a paradigm for. Emancipation from the burden of history hayden white s friend and colleague james clifford once described him as an anarchoformalist. Since its initial publication in 1973, hayden white s metahistory has remained an essential book for understanding the nature of historical writing.
Historicism, history, and the figurative imagination 1975. Reviews in history a thoughtful, comprehensive and much needed introduction to the work of white. Hayden white and narrative in history hayden white, tropics of discourse. Pdf hayden white, traumatic nationalism and the public. Hayden white obituary santa cruz, ca santa cruz sentinel. Hayden white s metahistory download ebook pdf, epub. My own analysis of the deep structure of the historical imagination of nineteenth century europe is intended to provide a new perspective on the current debate over the nature and function of historical. White july 12, 1928 march 5, 2018 resident of santa cruz it is with deep sadness that we announce the death of hayden v. White, an influential scholar whose ideas on history and how it is shaped have fueled discussions in academic circles for half a century, died monday at his home in santa cruz, california. This relation becomes a problem for historical theory with the realization that. The formalism was more visible than the anarchism but no less important.
He was a 40year resident of santa cruz who traveled the world. White, an influential scholar whose ideas on history and how it is shaped have fueled discussions in academic circles for half a century, died on monday at his home in santa cruz, calif. He did this by comparing historical writing to the writing of literature, noticing that there are many similarities between them. In his essays the burden of history 1966, interpretation in history 1972, the historical text as literary artefact 1974, the value of narrativity in the representation of reality 1980 and getting out of history 1982, hayden white discusses the main tenets of his theory of historiography, narrativity and, inevitably, the relationship between the. This article investigates hayden white s use of the concept of the practical past, borrowed from michael oakeshott, as a means to argue for individual choices ethical, moral and existential in contemporary life, and hence as a way to escape the burden of history, a problem that had motivated white s. For better than a century many historians have found it useful to employ a. The reflexive test of hayden whites metahistory request pdf. White, hayden, the burden of history, history and theory, vol. Tropics of discourse develops white s ideas on interpretation in history, on the relationship between history and the novel, and on history and historicism. As an introduction to the thought and work of hayden white, it is hard to see this volume being surpassed for some considerable time.
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