The Theory and Practice of History

by Leopold von Ranke

This collection ofathe writings of Leopold von Rankeawas first published in 1973 and remains the leading collection of RankeOCOs writings in the English language. Now updated with the needs of current students in mind, this edition includes previously untranslated materials, as well as a new introduction by Georg G. Iggers.

Genres: History, Philosophy

386 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 1973

About the author

Leopold von Ranke was a German historian, considered one of the founders of modern source-based history. Ranke set the tone for much of later historical writing, introducing such ideas as reliance on primary sources (Empiricism), an emphasis on narrative history and especially international politics (Aussenpolitik).

Reviews

[J.M. Hushour · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really great, immense selection of some of von Ranke's philosophical treatises on history and historiography as well as some selections from "History of the Popes" and some of his erudite prefaces from other works. An endlessly fascinating guy who held that critical analysis of documents and texts was paramount and that abstraction and generalization were incompatible with interpreting the past. Has a fantastic introduction by Georg Iggers, expert on German historiography and such things, a little piece from Humboldt, too. Should be back in print soon, according to Amazon.

[noblethumos · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Theory and Practice of History" is a book written by Leopold von Ranke, a German historian who is considered one of the founders of modern historical scholarship. The book was first published in 1865 and is widely regarded as a seminal work in the field of historiography.

Ranke's central argument in the book is that history should be approached as an empirical science, based on the rigorous examination of primary sources and the objective analysis of historical facts. He emphasizes the importance of basing historical interpretations on concrete evidence rather than speculative theories or moral judgments.

Ranke also argues that the historian's task is to reconstruct the past as it actually happened, rather than imposing present-day values or interpretations on historical events. He believes that the role of the historian is to discover and interpret the past, rather than to judge or evaluate it.

"The Theory and Practice of History" has had a profound influence on the practice of historical scholarship, and has shaped the development of modern historical methodology. Ranke's emphasis on empirical research, rigorous analysis, and objectivity has been a central tenet of historical scholarship for over a century. Critics, however, have argued that his approach neglects the role of interpretation and subjectivity in historical understanding, and that it promotes a conservative, apolitical view of history.

GPT

[Tayade Mangala · Rating 5 out of 5]

its high rated book