The central doctrine of empiricism - that true knowledge or understanding of the world comes ultimately from sense impressions - underlies most of the practices and arguments of professional historians, but many historians have denied that there is a theory behind what they do. In the last twenty years, however, postmodernism has had a powerful effect on the discipline of history and is now forcing empiricist historians to articulate their methods, and to defend them as both possible and virtuous. In this concise introduction, Stephen Davies explains what historians mean by empiricism, examines the origins, growth and persistence of empirical methods, and shows how students can apply these methods to their own work.
- ISBN10 0333964691
- ISBN13 9780333964699
- Publish Date 31 December 2002
- Publish Status Cancelled
- Out of Print 4 December 2008
- Publish Country GB
- Imprint Palgrave Macmillan
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 160
- Language English