What is History?

The History of History

In this course, Professor John Arnold (University of Cambridge) explores the history of history – the ways in which the writing of history has changed from Herodotus (c. 484-25 BC) to Hayden White (1928-2018). In the first module, we think about the question ‘What is history?’, focusing in particular on some of fundamental challenges that historians of all ages have had to grapple with, as well as on the idea of the ‘purpose’ of history – why do we bother to study the past at all? In the following six modules, we think about the development of history in six key periods – the ancient world, the medieval world, post-Reformation Europe, post-Enlightenment Europe, the 19th century, and the 20th century. In the final two modules, we consider three approaches to history that have proved highly influential from the second half of the 20th century to the present day – Marxist history, Feminist history, and Postmodernism.

What is History?

In this module, we think about the question ‘What is history?’, focusing in particular: (i) history as an academic discipline in the 21st century compared to the different ways of doing history in the past; (ii) the three major challenges that historians of all ages have had to grapple with; and (iii) the purpose of history, i.e. why do we bother to study the past at all?