Spring 2008

Rausch's Fourteen Points                                                                      

Unoriginal Words of Wisdom for Studying and Writing about History

1. The past is a foreign country.

·         Historians study people different from themselves, sometimes slightly different, sometimes very different.

·         The challenge is to understand people in the past on their own terms.

·         If you have no interest in other cultures or other ways of thinking, you cannot study history productively.

2. There is no "we" or "us" in history, even U.S. history, even recent U.S. history.

·         “We” and “us” are too vague.

·         Not everyone is the same, even at the same point in time.

·         Be wary of those who use “we” and “us” too much.

·         Not all of “us” have the same experiences.

3. There is no fate or destiny in historical events.

·         Events result from choices, actions, and things beyond one’s control.

·         Historians study how things could have gone much differently.

·         Unintended consequences are very common.

·         Be wary of TELEOLOGY = the idea that all history is a single process headed towards a single goal.

·         There is “progress,” but no “Progress.”

4. Everything has a history that explains its current state.

·         History explains the current situation.

·         History explains people, places, things, and ideas.

5. The past is not a force. History’s power is in the interpretation.

·         Something that is older is not necessarily harder to change.

·         Something that is newer is not necessarily easier to change.

·         The power of age depends on the value placed on age.

6. Everyone uses historical instinct or “does history.” When you:

·         Think about your own experience.

·         Use past events to explain current behavior.

·         Tell a true story.

·         Explain what someone else did or said.

·         Keep track of the order of events.

        7. History is contested.

·         There is no single voice for “History.”

·         Historians sometimes disagree about what actually happen, and often disagree about the meaning of what happened.

·         Historical interpretation has high stakes – power, money, emotion, loyalty, patriotism, idealism, shame, legal consequences, etc.

·         Every generation writes its own versions of history.

        8. What is "natural," "normal," "universal" or "constant" is often historical and contingent.  

·         Different people in different times imagine “normal” and “natural” differently.

·         CONTINGENT = depends on circumstances, could have been different.

·         There are other ways of imagining what you take for granted.

·         What it means to be “traditional” is constantly re-interpreted.

·         It is very difficult to define “human nature” for all people in all times.

        9. Avoid "always," "never," "all," and "none."

·         Generalizations are seldom useful. Better to be specific.

·         Exceptions almost always exist. The question is: “How significant are the exceptions?”

        10. The truth exists. Some methods come closer than others.

·         Absolute objectivity may not be possible, but you should come as close as possible.

·         Beware ABSOLUTE RELATIVISM = all accounts or beliefs are equally true and valid

·         Absolute relativism leads to anarchy or dictatorship.

·         Not all versions of history are equally true.

       11. Good historical understanding requires facts, logic, sound judgment, and good evidence.

·         History is a non-fiction story.

·         Evidence depends on truth, which depends on reliable sources.

·         Take into account biases and differences in perspectives.

 12. The “lessons of history” are conventional wisdom, not natural laws.

·         People re-evaluate the lessons all the time.

·         The lessons are often unclear and sometimes wrong.

·         Two generations can draw opposite lessons from the same historical subject.

       13. Historians make judgments, assign responsibility, and show agency.

·         Events come with responsibility.

·         Responsibility is often shared.

·         AGENCY = the ability to make decisions, take action, and shape one’s own destiny.

·         Agency exists even in the worst circumstances. No one is only a passive victim and nothing else.

        14. Pride or outrage may be results, but they should not be the primary goals for studying history.

·         The primary aim is not to make you outraged at the events of the past.

·         The primary aim is not to make you feel good about the events of the past.

·         The goal is understanding the events of the past.