Meaning, Truth, and Reference in Historical Representation

by Frank Ankersmit

In this book, the noted intellectual historian Frank Ankersmit provides a systematic account of the problems of reference, truth, and meaning in historical writing. He works from the conviction that the historicist account of historical writing, associated primarily with Leopold von Ranke and Wilhelm von Humboldt, is essentially correct but that its original idealist and romanticist idiom needs to be translated into more modern terms. Rehabilitating historicism for the contemporary philosophy of history, he argues, reveals the basic truths about the nature of the past itself, how we relate to it, and how we make sense of the past in historical writing.

At the heart of Ankersmit's project is a sharp distinction between interpretation and representation. The historical text, he holds, is first and foremost a representation of some part of the past, not an interpretation. The book's central chapters address the concept of historical representation from the perspectives of reference, truth, and meaning. Ankersmit then goes on to discuss the possible role of experience in the history writing, which leads directly to a consideration of subjectivity and ethics in the historian's practice. Ankersmit concludes with a chapter on political history, which he maintains is the basis and condition of all other variants of historical writing. Ankersmit's rehabilitation of historicism is a powerfully original and provocative contribution to the debate about the nature of historical writing.

Genres: Philosophy, History

282 pages, Paperback

First published May 4, 2012

About the author

aka F.R. Ankersmit

Reviews

[Jasmin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Currently Ankersmit is the most influential living philosopher of history, and his unique way of thinking about the historical representation and historical experience has even been described as controversial. Wanting to familiarize myself with his thoughts, I was recommended this concise book.

The three principal claims of this book are, as stated in the preface (pp. ix-x), "(1) that in historical representation meaning is more basic than truth and reference, and (2) that this is where the philosophical reflection on the nature of historical representation differs from current philosophy of language ordinarily presenting truth as preceding meaning." And finally, (3) "historicists were right after all in their much-derided claim that political history is the backbone of all historical writing." The book is written on the assumption that historicists such as Ranke and Humboldt were basically correct in their view of the nature of historical representation, but Ankersmit attempts to bring these now antiquated ideas up to date.

I am a PhD student in history, and I have only read some basic introductions regarding the relationship of the language and historical writing and philosophy of history in general. I still felt that the arguments of Ankersmit were crystal clear and tied perfectly together the ideas of other thinkers with his own. Ankersmit seems to have read everything. The book is not easy to read -- but considering the subject at hand I don't think it could have been written in a more lucid and demonstrative manner. His chapters are short and include few very pertinent examples -- these can be skipped in case the argument is already clear to the reader.

I found Ankersmit's arguments very convincing and refreshing. I would recommend this book as obligatory reading for everyone interested in the philosophy of history and historical narratives. But before reading this it will be useful to get to know some basic concepts and theories.

[Juvenalis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The view in his last book – Sublime Historical Experience – seems a little too radical. Here Ankersmit goes back to the stance he held in Historical Representation to a certain degree. Further more, he has accepted criticism of representation having no foundation, hardly distinguishable with deconstructivism, and find a new concept “aspects” as the medium between reality and representation, similar to Edmund Husserl’s “ Abschattung” in some respects. The most important proposition in this book may be that the meaning of historical representation cannot be defined as something more basic. Meaning by its own lay a foundation for historical writing.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ankersmit is a very a lucid writer and it's a shame that more people interested in this area have not put him in conversation with Hayden White. With this book, however, I really struggle with the distinction that Ankersmit holds between historical research and historical writing but I suspect he has to make this distinction since he holds the view that the historian can actually come into contact with some aspect of the past through their research ('presence' paradigm)

[Jessica Zu · Rating 3 out of 5]

veyr obtruse … written for the few insiders

[Kåre · Rating 3 out of 5]

Læste de første tre kapitler, hvori fundamentet angiveligt lægges. Jeg forstod også noget, mener jeg, måske. Tror ikke behovet for at læse resten er meget presserende