Why History?: Ethics and PostmodernityWhy History'is a compelling introduction to the issue of history and ethics. Designed to provoke discussion, the book asks whether and why a good knowledge and understanding of the past is desirable. In the context of current postmodern thinking, Keith Jenkins suggests that the goal of "learning lessons from the past" actually means learning lessons from stories written by historians and others. If the past as history has no foundation, can anything ethical be gained from history? Daring and controversial,Why History'presents liberating challenges to history and ethics, proposing that we have reached an emancipatory moment which is well beyond the "end of history." |
Contents
PART I | 7 |
PART III | 10 |
On the end of metanarratives | 35 |
On Jean Baudrillard | 56 |
On JeanFrançois Lyotard | 71 |
PART II | 91 |
On Hayden White | 115 |
On Frank Ankersmit | 133 |
Beyond histories and ethics | 161 |
On David Harlan | 184 |
Promisings | 201 |
Further reading | 223 |
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Common terms and phrases
Accordingly actually anti-foundationalism arguably argues argument basis binary oppositions choice closure Consequently constitute context contingent course critique culture decision deconstruction defence definitive Derrida différance différend discourse emancipatory emplotment end of history epistemological Ermarth Evans Evans's existence fact fiction Frank Ankersmit future genre Geoffrey Elton Harlan Hayden White historians historical narrative historiography history and ethics Ibid idea ideological illusion imaginaries imagined intellectual interminable irony irreducible Jean Baudrillard kind language linear linguistic live logic lower case history meaning metanarratives metaphysical modern modernist modes moral moral relativism narrative interpretations natural never notion object philosophy of history political position possible postmodern postmodernists precisely proper question radical reality reason recognise refer relativistic rhetoric rhythmic Richard Rorty Rorty's rules sense signifier Simon Critchley social statements sublime teleology theory things thought tion tropes tropology truth undecidability University whilst White and Ankersmit