This seminar will explore the contemporary theory and philosophy of history, giving special attention to the publications of "History and Theory," the academic journal owned and edited by Wesleyan University faculty for the last 50 years. Among the subjects the themes that will be discussed are the nature of historical truth; history as a science, with laws, and as an art; historical representation and its limits; gender history; agency and causation; history of the emotions; and history's moral imperatives. Key figures discussed will include R. G. Collingwood, Michel Foucault, Hayden White, Frank Ankersmit, Barbara Rosenwein, Joan Scott, Ian Hacking, Reinhart Koselleck, and Quentin Skinner. |