Hoorcollege 1
The kind of reasoning of historians is like that of Sherlock Holmes. Lectures are the most
important to learn.
Recap Theory II: - 1920.
Theory III: 1945 –
Theory is always about the lower part of the iceberg. The deeper underlying presuppositions
and assumptions. The work of historians is the tip of the iceberg. Theory teaches you with the
larger part under sea, which you cannot see on the surface.
Reverse Engineering (reconstruct the questions behind the answers): If you want to get to the
deeper layers of the text. Do it with a text. Works well when you consider your text as
answers to questions. Mostly questions are not mentioned. Reconstruct the questions and
assumptions etc.
Four questions: What is history? (nature) What is it about? (object) How does it proceed?
(method) What is it for? (aim). All historians do have answers to these questions. Mostly
implicit. All this can be discovered by reverse engineering.
Theory II learn about theories of past historians. Theory III, the aim is to put this in practice.
Guide to write bachelor thesis. Preparation for master course.
The elements. Know them all! Should be your second language. Always eight elements
present in historical thinking/text.
How does historical thought develop over time? Sources become more important
(information). Make the compass in a spiral (progress). You need to be critical of other
historical work and the assumptions of other historians. That is why theory is so important.
Crucial is to ask clever questions. To Gregory the dog is no information, to Holmes not
barking of the dog is information for him. For one silence is no information, for others it is.
Assumption Holmes: dogs do not bark at people they know. Can also be criticized.
Asked better question based on the same sources than other historians!
The function of theory in practise is to help to detect, analyse and critically evaluate the
underlying assumptions of historical research and writing. Two elements most important.
Concepts used and the assumptions being made by historians.
Ginzburg:
Purpose: Show how people in 16th century lived. To reconstruct the cosmos of the miller.
Point of view: Cultural and social history.
Implications: Italians identify with Menoccio. (poor guy fighting against the power). Opened
a new field of cultural studies.
Question: What was the life of ordinary man in the 16th century?
Information: library of the miller. His confessions at the court, while being tortured.
,Interpretations: The miller had an idea of the cosmos which was typical for rural area
societies.
Concepts: Social classes, subaltern classes (from social history)
Assumptions: Menoccio is representative for the entire culture/population. When you are
tortured you say things you would normally say or believe. Menoccio’s thinking about the
cosmos is product of a very long cultural tradition.
Ginzburg’s method: abduction. Article clues examples of Freud, Holmes and Morelli (art
historian). The method Ginzburg applies is not the scientific way with a lot of information.
When Morelli was asked is this a real Da Vinci, he would look for the details and from there
deduce if it was a real one or not. He would not look at the whole body but at the nose or ear.
From a particular thing he goes to a hypothesis that is may be a Da Vinci. This is also typical
for Holmes. Maybe someone known of the stable is the murderer. Freud: mistake in language
says something about your unconsciousness.
We call that way of reasoning abduction. We have surprising information I (dog did not bark).
If hypothesis H (dog does not bark with someone known) were true, I would follow. So
probably H is true (hypothesis) (The murder is committed by someone known). All historians
apply abductive reasoning.
Induction: reasons from particular facts to a general rule.
Deductions: reasons from a general rule to a particular fact.
Historians use all three. Only deduction gives you certainty. Induction not, maybe there is a
camp that has no coins. Abduction not, hypothesis is never 100% certain.
Abduction gives you new knowledge (qualitative). Induction (quantitative).
Abduction: inference (gevolgtrekking). Observe a strange pyramid, you know about
Egyptians assumptions.
It is about finding of the best possible explanation based on the amount of evidence.
How to find underlying assumptions: find the proposition (bewering) first! This is backed up
by arguments and information. It is up to you to find the underlying assumptions.
The doorbell rings, that must be Peter. Assumption: every time the doorbell rings is it Peter.
The Greek temples contained many valuable goods because people would donate gifts to the
gods. Assumptions: The gifts are valuable. The gifts are being kept in the temple. People are
rich. People donate.
Apply the standards.
Fallacies:
Lucia de B. Nurse for very ill babies. How to challenge this conclusion. How big is the
chance babies die in these circumstances? There are alternative hypotheses! Hypotheses are
never certain. It always depends on the solidity of your assumptions. There are other
explanations.
, Distinguish between ‘lovely’ and ‘likely’ hypothesis. Twin towers implode was an inside job
is a lovely story. Take it seriously, is it the most likely hypothesis given the evidence? There
is no final answer.
New definition of fallacies we need to know. We have a dispute, need to solve it by logical
moves. An incorrect move is not helping.
Two extra fallacies. (18 total)
- True Scotsmen. You change the definition so that Murray is no longer a Scotsman.
- Fallacy of the Strawman: misquote someone. Put words in someone mount.
Hoorcollege 2:
In Theory II de vier vragen. Different answers trough time. 1: what is history? (inquiry) 2.
What is it about (Greek human action, Christian Gods plan, Hegel progress) 3. How
does it proceed? (Different among historians, perhaps abduction) 4. What is it for?
(knowledge etc.)
Idealism and realism is a fundamental opposition in all the historical work. Realism: reality
exists outside of our mind. It is as it is. Things are what they are, not what you think about it.
Idealism: We can only grasp what the things are by the concepts. So things are what they are
because of what we think they are. What is reality (according to idealism)? Depends on the
concepts you use.
Example: inflation is a concept. People in 16th century did not had the concept. So, was there
inflation in that time?
There is no human nature, there is only human history according to Collingwood. This means
that we only talk about human history when we talk about human nature.
Structure (rules, laws) and agency (intentions). The same philosophical discussion.
Question 1:
Relation between hypotheses and assumptions: Questions are related to a gap you have.
Assumptions are based on knowledge you already have. Hypothesis is based on the
assumptions. With information you try to fill the gap. The questions is also dependent on
assumption, because if there are no assumptions you can’t formulate a question. Inference is
the result of the inquiry that fills the gap.
The question is also dependent on assumptions. Without assumptions there are no questions.
Peters: Assumption are the rules you have in mind, consciously or unconsciously, about f.e.
coins. The beliefs you take for granted, you think to be true. Confronted with something new
(new coin) you ask yourself (abduction) what if there were a Roman camp here? Assumptions
enables you to recognise strange information,(reasoning starts) formulating hypothesis. No
hypothesis without assumptions.
You can compare the formulation of a hypothesis to the formulation of a question. Are very
close to each other. Questions also presuppose assumptions. You have to look at the questions
to find the assumptions of a historian.
The kind of reasoning of historians is like that of Sherlock Holmes. Lectures are the most
important to learn.
Recap Theory II: - 1920.
Theory III: 1945 –
Theory is always about the lower part of the iceberg. The deeper underlying presuppositions
and assumptions. The work of historians is the tip of the iceberg. Theory teaches you with the
larger part under sea, which you cannot see on the surface.
Reverse Engineering (reconstruct the questions behind the answers): If you want to get to the
deeper layers of the text. Do it with a text. Works well when you consider your text as
answers to questions. Mostly questions are not mentioned. Reconstruct the questions and
assumptions etc.
Four questions: What is history? (nature) What is it about? (object) How does it proceed?
(method) What is it for? (aim). All historians do have answers to these questions. Mostly
implicit. All this can be discovered by reverse engineering.
Theory II learn about theories of past historians. Theory III, the aim is to put this in practice.
Guide to write bachelor thesis. Preparation for master course.
The elements. Know them all! Should be your second language. Always eight elements
present in historical thinking/text.
How does historical thought develop over time? Sources become more important
(information). Make the compass in a spiral (progress). You need to be critical of other
historical work and the assumptions of other historians. That is why theory is so important.
Crucial is to ask clever questions. To Gregory the dog is no information, to Holmes not
barking of the dog is information for him. For one silence is no information, for others it is.
Assumption Holmes: dogs do not bark at people they know. Can also be criticized.
Asked better question based on the same sources than other historians!
The function of theory in practise is to help to detect, analyse and critically evaluate the
underlying assumptions of historical research and writing. Two elements most important.
Concepts used and the assumptions being made by historians.
Ginzburg:
Purpose: Show how people in 16th century lived. To reconstruct the cosmos of the miller.
Point of view: Cultural and social history.
Implications: Italians identify with Menoccio. (poor guy fighting against the power). Opened
a new field of cultural studies.
Question: What was the life of ordinary man in the 16th century?
Information: library of the miller. His confessions at the court, while being tortured.
,Interpretations: The miller had an idea of the cosmos which was typical for rural area
societies.
Concepts: Social classes, subaltern classes (from social history)
Assumptions: Menoccio is representative for the entire culture/population. When you are
tortured you say things you would normally say or believe. Menoccio’s thinking about the
cosmos is product of a very long cultural tradition.
Ginzburg’s method: abduction. Article clues examples of Freud, Holmes and Morelli (art
historian). The method Ginzburg applies is not the scientific way with a lot of information.
When Morelli was asked is this a real Da Vinci, he would look for the details and from there
deduce if it was a real one or not. He would not look at the whole body but at the nose or ear.
From a particular thing he goes to a hypothesis that is may be a Da Vinci. This is also typical
for Holmes. Maybe someone known of the stable is the murderer. Freud: mistake in language
says something about your unconsciousness.
We call that way of reasoning abduction. We have surprising information I (dog did not bark).
If hypothesis H (dog does not bark with someone known) were true, I would follow. So
probably H is true (hypothesis) (The murder is committed by someone known). All historians
apply abductive reasoning.
Induction: reasons from particular facts to a general rule.
Deductions: reasons from a general rule to a particular fact.
Historians use all three. Only deduction gives you certainty. Induction not, maybe there is a
camp that has no coins. Abduction not, hypothesis is never 100% certain.
Abduction gives you new knowledge (qualitative). Induction (quantitative).
Abduction: inference (gevolgtrekking). Observe a strange pyramid, you know about
Egyptians assumptions.
It is about finding of the best possible explanation based on the amount of evidence.
How to find underlying assumptions: find the proposition (bewering) first! This is backed up
by arguments and information. It is up to you to find the underlying assumptions.
The doorbell rings, that must be Peter. Assumption: every time the doorbell rings is it Peter.
The Greek temples contained many valuable goods because people would donate gifts to the
gods. Assumptions: The gifts are valuable. The gifts are being kept in the temple. People are
rich. People donate.
Apply the standards.
Fallacies:
Lucia de B. Nurse for very ill babies. How to challenge this conclusion. How big is the
chance babies die in these circumstances? There are alternative hypotheses! Hypotheses are
never certain. It always depends on the solidity of your assumptions. There are other
explanations.
, Distinguish between ‘lovely’ and ‘likely’ hypothesis. Twin towers implode was an inside job
is a lovely story. Take it seriously, is it the most likely hypothesis given the evidence? There
is no final answer.
New definition of fallacies we need to know. We have a dispute, need to solve it by logical
moves. An incorrect move is not helping.
Two extra fallacies. (18 total)
- True Scotsmen. You change the definition so that Murray is no longer a Scotsman.
- Fallacy of the Strawman: misquote someone. Put words in someone mount.
Hoorcollege 2:
In Theory II de vier vragen. Different answers trough time. 1: what is history? (inquiry) 2.
What is it about (Greek human action, Christian Gods plan, Hegel progress) 3. How
does it proceed? (Different among historians, perhaps abduction) 4. What is it for?
(knowledge etc.)
Idealism and realism is a fundamental opposition in all the historical work. Realism: reality
exists outside of our mind. It is as it is. Things are what they are, not what you think about it.
Idealism: We can only grasp what the things are by the concepts. So things are what they are
because of what we think they are. What is reality (according to idealism)? Depends on the
concepts you use.
Example: inflation is a concept. People in 16th century did not had the concept. So, was there
inflation in that time?
There is no human nature, there is only human history according to Collingwood. This means
that we only talk about human history when we talk about human nature.
Structure (rules, laws) and agency (intentions). The same philosophical discussion.
Question 1:
Relation between hypotheses and assumptions: Questions are related to a gap you have.
Assumptions are based on knowledge you already have. Hypothesis is based on the
assumptions. With information you try to fill the gap. The questions is also dependent on
assumption, because if there are no assumptions you can’t formulate a question. Inference is
the result of the inquiry that fills the gap.
The question is also dependent on assumptions. Without assumptions there are no questions.
Peters: Assumption are the rules you have in mind, consciously or unconsciously, about f.e.
coins. The beliefs you take for granted, you think to be true. Confronted with something new
(new coin) you ask yourself (abduction) what if there were a Roman camp here? Assumptions
enables you to recognise strange information,(reasoning starts) formulating hypothesis. No
hypothesis without assumptions.
You can compare the formulation of a hypothesis to the formulation of a question. Are very
close to each other. Questions also presuppose assumptions. You have to look at the questions
to find the assumptions of a historian.
