Imagination and Critique : Two Rival Versions of Historical Inquiry

James R L Noland

ISBN 10: 9048138035 / ISBN 13: 9789048138036

Edité par Springer, 2010

A propos de cet article

Druck auf Anfrage Neuware - Printed after ordering - This book is most easily described as philosophy of history; however, this descr- tion may be a little misleading. Truly, this is a work of applied philosophy that was originally conceived not in a philosophy seminar but in a school of public policy. As a philosopher learning about the study of public policy formation, I was f- quently struck by what I perceived to be two very different sets of assumptions and methods at work. I found these assumptions and methods to be mutually exclusive conceptually, but they were often employed simultaneously. On the one hand, it was often accepted as given when studying past policy changes and political events that history is shaped by impersonal forces, that p- ple's actions can, and ought only to be understood as manifestations of their own material interests, and that individuals are to be identi ed as representatives of their respective demographic categories. Thus, for example, the events in question were explained in terms of the race or class of the various parties. When such an approach was challenged with an appeal to the actual arguments and stated rationales of the participants of the historical moment in question, this was taken to be an option that might be employed either in conjunction with the former method or as an alter- tive. Which method one chose to emphasize or employ exclusively seemed more a function of inclination or intuition than rational adjudication.

N° de réf. du vendeur 9789048138036

Détails bibliographiques

• Titre: Imagination and Critique : Two Rival Versions of Historical Inquiry
• Éditeur: Springer
• Date de parution: 2010
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN à 10 chiffres: 9048138035
• ISBN à 13 chiffres: 9789048138036
• Reliure: Buch
• État de l'article: Neu
• Dimensions: 243 L x 167 H x 23 P (en millimètres) 243 millimètres de largeur par 167 millimètres de hauteur par 23 millimètres de profondeur
• Poids: 404 grammes

A propos de ce titre

Synopsis

This book is most easily described as philosophy of history; however, this descr- tion may be a little misleading. Truly, this is a work of applied philosophy that was originally conceived not in a philosophy seminar but in a school of public policy. As a philosopher learning about the study of public policy formation, I was f- quently struck by what I perceived to be two very different sets of assumptions and methods at work. I found these assumptions and methods to be mutually exclusive conceptually, but they were often employed simultaneously. On the one hand, it was often accepted as given when studying past policy changes and political events that history is shaped by impersonal forces, that p- ple's actions can, and ought only to be understood as manifestations of their own material interests, and that individuals are to be identi?ed as representatives of their respective demographic categories. Thus, for example, the events in question were explained in terms of the race or class of the various parties. When such an approach was challenged with an appeal to the actual arguments and stated rationales of the participants of the historical moment in question, this was taken to be an option that might be employed either in conjunction with the former method or as an alter- tive. Which method one chose to emphasize or employ exclusively seemed more a function of inclination or intuition than rational adjudication.

Présentation de l'éditeur

Historical inquiry and social science are examined in this unique monograph, to both assess and anticipate developments in public policy. A case study of the ratification of the 16th Amendment is included to illustrate the concepts discussed.