History and the problem of presentism.

摘要

This thesis critically examines the significance of the study of particular forms of history to a liberal education. It looks at the role of narrative in the reconfiguration of the temporal dimension into a meaningful unity. Related to this are two issues of educational importance that I will also discuss: historical empathy and presentism. When used incorrectly. historical empathy can lead to presentism: the imposition of present standards and norms on the past. This thesis argues that we come to understand the past when we create, through the narrative form, an authentic empathic response to it.;Due to the impact on education of Paul Hirst's work, Chapter Two presents a brief analysis of his 'forms of knowledge' in order to explicate the problem history creates for his theory. In Chapter Three I examine the nature of history through two of its most central questions: What is history? and Why is history important? As a result of this exercise I demonstrate some of the unique understandings that are derived from the study of history. Recent attempts to define history are discussed in Chapter Four. My analysis of the new history manifests itself in two ways: the influence of narrative understanding on history, and the necessity of the temporal perspective and why only the study of history can provide students with it. In Chapter Five I discuss the importance of the study of history to the development in students of the ability to make reasonable, rational judgements. Finally I argue why the present Social Studies curriculum fails to provide the unique understandings that can be derived from the study of history.