Abstract
Further reflections on the methodology of history require a preliminary orientation as to the scope of interests ascribed to the science of history. This refers to a general framework concerning which a general consensus could always be obtained. This will outline the field for detailed reflections on the subject matter of history.
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References
J. Wikarjak, Historia powszechna Herodota (Herodotus’ Universal History), Poznan 1961, p. 5. See also J. Dobiaš, Dějepisectvi v starověké (Ancient Historiography), Praha 1948, pp. 86-7.
F. Müller, De “historiae”vocabulo atque notione, Mnemosyne vol. 43, 1926, pp. 234–57, in particular, p. 246. See also K. Keuck, Historia. Geschichte des Wortes und seiner Bedeutung in der Antike und in den romanischen Sprachen, Münster 1934.
Cf. H. J. Marrou, Qu’est-ce-que l’histoire. L’histoire et ses méthodes, Paris 1961, pp. 3 ff; R. Jolivet, Définition et sens de l’histoire. L’Homme et l’histoire, Paris 1952; J. Dobiaš, Dějepisectvi v starověké, pp. 86-7.
Cf. Monumenta Germaniae Historica. Scriptores rerum Merovingicarum, vol. I, part 1, Hannover 1884.
Du Cange, Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, vol. III, Niort 1884, pp. 209–10.
Cf. Słownik staropolski (The Dictionary of Old Polish), vol. II, Wrocław-Kraków-Warszawa 1959, No. 7 (13), p. 54. The only source quoted is Rozmyśla-nia przemyskie (Przemysl Meditations); the term has apparently not been found in other sources covered by the study.
E. Bernheim, Lehrbuch der historischen Methode und der Geschichtsphilosophie, Leipzig 1908 (5th and 6th ed.), p. 10. “Die Geschichte ist eine Wissenschaft von der Entwicklung der Menschen.”
R. G. Collingwood, The Idea of History, London 1961, p. 9.
J. Huizinga, A Definition of the Concept of History. Philosophy of History, Oxford 1936, p. 9. Quoted after A. Stern, Philosophy of History and the Problem of Values, Oxford 1956, p. 17.
R. Aron, Introduction à la philosophie de l’histoire, Paris 1938, p. 17.
M. Bloch, Apologie pour l’histoire ou métier d’historien, Paris 1949, p. 4.
Cf. E. Callot, Ambiguités et antinomies de l’histoire, Paris 1962, p. 107, “(…) pas l’homme, jamais l’homme (…) les sociétés humaines, les groupes organisées.”
Ibid., p. 106. “L’histoire, disons-nous, est la science descriptive de la société tout entière sous l’angle du temps.”
K. Marx, F. Engels, Die heilige Familie, Berlin 1953, p. 210. “Die Geschichte-Zwecke durchzuarbeiten, sondern sie ist nichts als die Tätigkeit des seine Zwecke verfolgenden Menschen.”
Cf. A. Stern, Philosophy of History and the Problem of Values, The Hague 1962, p. 18. “L’histoire est le récit des faits données pour vrais, au contraire de la fable qui est le récit des faits donnés pour faux ou fictifs.”
Cf. F. Jacoby, Ueber die Entwicklung der griechischen Historiographie und den Plan einer neuen Sammlung der griechischen Historikerfragmente, Klio, vol. IX, Leipzig 1909, p. 96, footnote 1.
It would be to the point to recall J. Lelewel’s reflections from 1818. He wrote that “the word historia is taken in its various meanings. It denotes both events and narratives, that is, the noting down of such events. The Polish word dzieje seems to correspond to events to be spoken about, and it may also replace the meaning of the word historia (…) events (dzieje) expounded in this (i.e., scholarly — J. T.) way usually bear the august name of history in its most exalted and noblest sense. Except for the German language, which in this sense uses the word Geschichte, all other European languages adopt the Greek word historia, without any further interpretation. The Polish language can also accept it readily.”(J. Lelewel, Dziela (Collected Works), vol. II, part 2, Warszawa 1964, p. 871.
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Topolski, J. (1976). The Scope of the Subject Matter (Domain) of Historical Research. In: Methodology of History. Synthese Library, vol 88. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-1123-5_4
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