Objectivity and the relationship between objectivity and interpretation.

MHI-03: HISTORIOGRAPHY

Course Code: MHI-03

Assignment Code: MHI-03/AST/TMA/2016-17

Total Marks: 100

Q. 1. What is objectivity? Discuss the relationship between objectivity and interpretation.

Ans. Objectivity is interpretation of historical events on the basis of evidence with a purpose to present the truth without bringing any wishful thinking and propaganda in it.

Objectivity is different from propaganda, relies on evidence and logic, aims to tell the truth and separates history and fiction. Objectivity has been the founding principle of historians in the West since the time of Herodotus. Western historians have referred the historical records as a real past and real human beings and aim to present the past as it was. In 19th century when Niebuhr introduced the critical method in writing of history and Ranke elaborately laid the

foundation of a genuinely ‘objective’ historiography. He distinguished history from literature and philosophy and tried to rid it of overdose of imagination and metaphysical speculation. Historians who believed Niebuhr’s ideas emphasized that the records have the facts and historians need to discover that. In early decade of 20th century, there was strong belief on facts and historians believed that if facts were known ultimate history could be written. This belief of writing ultimate history was also asserted by French historians Langlois and Seignobos.

In 20th century, trends like the Marxist and the Annales schools of historiography alsobelieved that history could be written scientifically and objectively.

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