220119 Narrative and History (S) (WiSe 2015/2016)

The main idea is to discuss key texts that fall under the scope of the dominant theoretical orientation of the last half a century within the theory and philosophy of history: narrativism. We are going proceed in three steps, in three thematic blocs. In the first step we will discuss the emergence of the question of narrative within analytic philosophy of history. Then, as a second thematic bloc, we will get into the sort of narrative philosophy of history associated with Hayden White that practically superseded the concerns of analytic philosophy of history. Finally, because narrativism is no longer the single current stand of the theory and philosophy of history, we are going to assess both its achievements and blind spots from more recent points of view. The language of the seminar is English.

Bibliography

Preliminary Reading List (It might change, but not substantially)
We're gonna read one essay per week, or two shorter ones on a few occasions

1. Analytic philosophy of history and the question of narrative
• Carl G. Hempel, “The Function of General Laws in History” The Journal of Philosophy 39:2 (1942), 35-48.
• Arthur C. Danto: Narration and Knowledge (New York, 1985), Ch1 or Ch8.
• William Dray, “On the Nature and Role of Narrative in Historiography,” History and Theory 10:2 (1971), 153-171.
• Louis O. Mink, “Narrative form as Cognitive Instrument,” in Mink, Historical Understanding (Ithaca, 1987), 182–203.

2. Narrative philosophy of history
• Hayden White, “The Burden of History,” History and Theory 5:2 (1966), 111–134.
• Hayden White, "The Historical Text as Literary Artifact," in White, Tropics of Discourse (Baltimore, 1978), 81-100.
• Frank R. Ankersmit, “Six Theses on Narrativist Philosophy of History,” in Ankersmit, History and Tropology (Berkeley, 1994), 33–43.
• Frank R. Ankersmit, “The Dilemma of Contemporary Anglo-Saxon Philosophy of History,” History and Theory 25:4 (1986), 1-27.
• Chris Lorenz, “Can histories be True? Narrativism, Positivism and the ‘Metaphorical Turn,’” History and Theory 37:3 (1998), 309-329.
• David Carr, “Narrative and the Real World: An Argument for Continuity,” History and Theory 25:2 (1986), 117–131.
• Keith Jenkins, “’Nobody Does It Better:’ Radical History and Hayden White,” Rethinking History 12:1 (2008), 59–74.

3. Narrativism in retrospect
• Gabrielle Spiegel, “The Task of the Historian” American Historical Review 114:1 (2009), 1-15.
• Nancy Partner, “Narrative Persistence: The Post-postmodern Life of Narrative Theory,” in Re-Figuring Hayden White, eds. Ankersmit et al. (Stanford, 2009), 81–104.
• Forum on the topic “After Narrativism,” History and Theory 54:2 (2015), 153–243. (it contains 5 essays, plus an intro – everyone reads the intro and is free to choose one of the essays)