学术英语(人文)Unit7

1、Unit 7 Unit 7 Truth and Truth and ObjectiObjecti- -vityvity in Historical in HistoricalResearchResearch学术英语学术英语 人文人文Academic English Academic English for HumanitiesHumanitiesUnit 7 Unit 7 Truth and Truth and ObjectiObjecti- -vityvity in Historical in HistoricalResearchResearchUnit 7 Unit 7 Truth and

2、 Truth and ObjectiObjecti- -vityvity in Historical in HistoricalResearchResearch Lead-in Text A Text B Text C Academic Language and Discourse Listening Speaking WritingUnit ContentsUnit 7 Unit 7 Truth and Truth and ObjectiObjecti- -vityvity in Historical in HistoricalResearchResearchUnit 7 Unit 7 Tr

3、uth and Truth and ObjectiObjecti- -vityvity in Historical in HistoricalResearchResearch Lead-in Lead-in activitiesUnit 7 Unit 7 Truth and Truth and ObjectiObjecti- -vityvity in Historical in HistoricalResearchResearchUnit 7 Unit 7 Truth and Truth and ObjectiObjecti- -vityvity in Historical in Histor

4、icalResearchResearchCan history be objective? Lead-inActivitiesWork in pairs to discuss the following question: 1. What makes true facts? 2. Can objective facts exist in history? 3. What kind of factors may affect a historians objectivity? Unit 7 Unit 7 Truth and Truth and ObjectiObjecti- -vityvity

5、in Historical in HistoricalResearchResearchLead-inl Historical factsSupplementary informationEven though philosophers doubt whether historians can represent the past in a truthful and objective way on the ground that historians frequently fail to reach a consensus on what happened, there is no denyi

6、ng that solid historical facts do exist. For example, we can say for sure that the Peoples Republic of China was established in 1949, which is a hard fact as we have sufficient evidences to prove it. Historical facts are different from scientific facts in the sense that the former cannot be tested i

7、n an experiment. But once we have obtained reliable primary sources about a historical event or fact, we can describe it as a true historical fact. In other words, a historical fact is something that can be verified from the sources. Historical facts have an existence independent of the historian, w

8、ho may however uncover them.Unit 7 Unit 7 Truth and Truth and ObjectiObjecti- -vityvity in Historical in HistoricalResearchResearchLead-inl Factors affecting the objectivity of historical researches Supplementary informationInterpretations of the same historical event by different historians may var

9、y to some extent. This should come as no surprise as we all know historians have to rely upon their own judgment in interpreting the historical event. There are several factors that may affect a historians objectivity. First, it is the sources. The historian might intend to be objective, but the sou

10、rce material is sometimes quite partial, as histories are usually written by the social winners in a partial manner. (To be continued)Unit 7 Unit 7 Truth and Truth and ObjectiObjecti- -vityvity in Historical in HistoricalResearchResearchLead-inSupplementary information Second, historians may come fr

11、om different cultural backgrounds. If a historian interprets an event with the involvement of his own country, he will very likely be at least somewhat biased. Not all historians are nationalistic; however, it is very difficult to be objective in discussing a world conflict when most of your sources

12、 on it come from your own country. Third, the epistemic values and religious beliefs are also swing factors. Even Leopold von Ranke, the founder of history as an academic discipline, was under the influence of his religious belief as he maintained that every state was given a moral character from Go

13、d. The historian may not be aware of personal bias which could well be rooted in his mythic assumptions.l Factors affecting the objectivity of historical researches (cont.)Unit 7 Unit 7 Truth and Truth and ObjectiObjecti- -vityvity in Historical in HistoricalResearchResearch Classroom activities Sup

14、plementary information Suggested answer keyUnit 7 Unit 7 Truth and Truth and ObjectiObjecti- -vityvity in Historical in HistoricalResearchResearch Text A The Empirical Approach to Historical ResearchUnit 7 Unit 7 Truth and Truth and ObjectiObjecti- -vityvity in Historical in HistoricalResearchResear

15、chThe Empirical Approach to Historical ResearchText AClassroom activitiesl Summarize Text A base on your answers to Task 1 / Critical Reading and Thinking/Text A. P130Suggested answer:(To be continued)Unit 7 Unit 7 Truth and Truth and ObjectiObjecti- -vityvity in Historical in HistoricalResearchRese

16、archText AClassroom activitiesSuggested answer (cont.):The Empirical Approach to Historical Researchl Summarize Text A base on your answers to Task 1 / Critical Reading and Thinking / Text A. P130Unit 7 Unit 7 Truth and Truth and ObjectiObjecti- -vityvity in Historical in HistoricalResearchResearchl

17、 Work in pairs to compare your answers to the questions in Task 2 / Critical Reading and Thinking / Text A. P130Text ASupplementary informationSuggested answer for Q1:The sentence means the works produced by historians are all guided by a theory of knowledge, and historians should take a deeper look

18、 at how convincing the theory of knowledge is, instead of having this inquiry done by scholars from other disciplines such as philosophy.The Empirical Approach to Historical ResearchUnit 7 Unit 7 Truth and Truth and ObjectiObjecti- -vityvity in Historical in HistoricalResearchResearchText ASupplemen

19、tary informationSuggested answer for Q2:Primary sources are created by witnesses or recorders who experienced the events or conditions being documented. Often these sources are created at thetime when the events or conditions are occurring, but primary sources can also include autobiographies, memoi

20、rs, and oral histories recorded later.The Empirical Approach to Historical Researchl Work in pairs to compare your answers to the questions in Task 2 / Critical Reading and Thinking / Text A. P130Unit 7 Unit 7 Truth and Truth and ObjectiObjecti- -vityvity in Historical in HistoricalResearchResearchT

21、ext ASupplementary informationSuggested answer for Q3:Historians tend to judge the past with their own criteria. Their judgment may appear partial sometimes as it may not fully reflect the previous historical periods in their “own terms”. It is still debatable whether a historians main task is to of

22、fer historical explanation or give historical judgment. Historians who set out to explain the past are usually commended for their strict adherence to certain norms of scholarly objectivity, but they are also likely to be criticized for writing histories lacking moral resonance and relevance to pres

23、ent-day society. But the histories produced by judgmental historians are also likely to be labeled as subjective.The Empirical Approach to Historical Researchl Work in pairs to compare your answers to the questions in Task 2 / Critical Reading and Thinking / Text A. P130Unit 7 Unit 7 Truth and Truth

24、 and ObjectiObjecti- -vityvity in Historical in HistoricalResearchResearchText ASupplementary informationSuggested answer for Q4:Historical objectivity has always been a goal for historians when they are interpreting a historical event. By embracing historical objectivity, a historian is committed t

25、o uncover the reality of the past, and truth that corresponds to reality. Yet this goal can be said to be a “noble dream” because it is hard for a historian to play a disinterested and neutral role by purging themselves of external loyalties. There are many factors that may affect the objectivity of

26、 historians, as we have discussed in the Lead-in session.The Empirical Approach to Historical Researchl Work in pairs to compare your answers to the questions in Task 2 / Critical Reading and Thinking / Text A. P130Unit 7 Unit 7 Truth and Truth and ObjectiObjecti- -vityvity in Historical in Historic

27、alResearchResearchText ASupplementary informationSuggested answer for Q5:History can be viewed as a branch of science as historians have endeavored to improve their methods of doing history by adopting more objective methods in their studies. In addition, history deals with facts, which are independ

28、ent of opinions. On the other hand, unlike other natural sciences, history lacks predicative value, which may disqualify it from being a science.The Empirical Approach to Historical Researchl Work in pairs to compare your answers to the questions in Task 2 / Critical Reading and Thinking / Text A. P

29、130Unit 7 Unit 7 Truth and Truth and ObjectiObjecti- -vityvity in Historical in HistoricalResearchResearchText ASupplementary informationLeopold von Ranke (1795 1886) was a German historian and a founder of modern source-based history. Ranke was educated at Leipzig University and taught at the Unive

30、rsity of Berlin. He championed objective historical writing based on textual criticism of source materials, with an aim to reconstruct the unique periods of the past as they actually were and to avoid injecting the history of former times with the spirit of the present. (To be continued)l Leopold va

31、n Ranke and empirical approach to historical researchThe Empirical Approach to Historical ResearchUnit 7 Unit 7 Truth and Truth and ObjectiObjecti- -vityvity in Historical in HistoricalResearchResearchText ASupplementary information To attain his goal, Ranke insisted that only contemporary accounts

32、and related material be used as sources. His works covered a wide variety of topics, which are typically subtle accounts of particular limited periods in European states and political history. His specialty was European history in the period of the 16th century and 17th century. (To be continued)The

33、 Empirical Approach to Historical Researchl Leopold van Ranke and empirical approach to historical research (cont.)Unit 7 Unit 7 Truth and Truth and ObjectiObjecti- -vityvity in Historical in HistoricalResearchResearchText ASupplementary informationRankes approach to historiography has been labeled

34、as empiricism, which remains one of the most influential methods of doing history. Empiricism is about accuracy with primary sources and close work that extracts the evidence. It aims to produce an account of the past as close to the evidence as possible. The Empirical Approach to Historical Researc

35、hl Leopold van Ranke and empirical approach to historical research (cont.)Unit 7 Unit 7 Truth and Truth and ObjectiObjecti- -vityvity in Historical in HistoricalResearchResearchText ASupplementary informationBy tradition, the “Scientific Revolution” refers to the period between Copernicus (1473-1543

36、) and Newton (1642-1727). This is an important period witnessing huge changes in the way people thought about the physical world around them. (To be continued)lScientific revolution of the 16th and 17th centuries The Empirical Approach to Historical ResearchUnit 7 Unit 7 Truth and Truth and ObjectiO

37、bjecti- -vityvity in Historical in HistoricalResearchResearchText ASupplementary information In the Middle Ages (500-1350 AD) the development of science was almost stalled as there was basically little scientific inquiry and experimentation. Students of science simply read the works of the alleged a

38、uthorities and accepted their word as truth. During the Renaissance, however, the quest to understand the natural world revived. The same spirit of scientific inquiry led brilliant scientific observers to question traditional beliefs about the workings of the universe in the 16th and 17th century. (

39、To be continued)lScientific revolution of the 16th and 17th centuries (cont.)The Empirical Approach to Historical ResearchUnit 7 Unit 7 Truth and Truth and ObjectiObjecti- -vityvity in Historical in HistoricalResearchResearchText ASupplementary informationThe most prominent scientists of this time i

40、nclude Copernicus, Galileo, and Isaac Newton. They adopted a scientific method that made use of observation and experimentation to explain theories on the workings of the universe. This process removed blind adherence to tradition from science, and allowed scientists to logically find answers throug

41、h the use of reason. The Enlightenment came as a result of the scientific revolution, which changed the way people lived as political and social scholars began to question the workings of society and government. The Empirical Approach to Historical ResearchlScientific revolution of the 16th and 17th

42、 centuries (cont.)Unit 7 Unit 7 Truth and Truth and ObjectiObjecti- -vityvity in Historical in HistoricalResearchResearch Classroom activities Supplementary information Suggested answer keyUnit 7 Unit 7 Truth and Truth and ObjectiObjecti- -vityvity in Historical in HistoricalResearchResearch Text B

43、Dilemmas with Historical TruthUnit 7 Unit 7 Truth and Truth and ObjectiObjecti- -vityvity in Historical in HistoricalResearchResearchDilemmas with Historical TruthText BClassroom activitiesl Summarize Text B base on your answer to Task 1 / Critical Reading and Thinking / Text B. P138Suggested answer

44、:1. a) epistemic; b) what happened.2. cultural relativism; a) world view; standards of rationality; practical interests; b) conceptual framework; c) their historical theories.3. a) ideas or concepts; b) linguistic; c) the historians interests.Unit 7 Unit 7 Truth and Truth and ObjectiObjecti- -vityvi

45、ty in Historical in HistoricalResearchResearchText BClassroom activitiesl Discuss the questions in Task 2 / Critical reading and thinking / Text B. P138Suggested answer for Q1:There are many reasons for the disagreements among historians. First, the primary sources might be scarce, allowing historia

46、ns to make inferences from different perspectives. Second, historians may have different epistemic values. Furthermore, historians are brought up in different cultural backgrounds, and because of this, their viewpoints are likely to vary.Dilemmas with Historical TruthUnit 7 Unit 7 Truth and Truth an

47、d ObjectiObjecti- -vityvity in Historical in HistoricalResearchResearchText BClassroom activitiesDilemmas with Historical Truthl Discuss the questions in Task 2 / Critical reading and thinking / Text B. P138Suggested answer for Q2:Yes, we can still trust history, as history consists of historical fa

48、cts. Historical facts exist independent of individual historians. No matter how different the interpretations are, we still know for sure that certain events happened in history.Unit 7 Unit 7 Truth and Truth and ObjectiObjecti- -vityvity in Historical in HistoricalResearchResearchText BClassroom act

49、ivitiesDilemmas with Historical Truthl Discuss the questions in Task 2 / Critical reading and thinking / Text B. P138Suggested answer for Q3:Historians can get closer to the truth of the past by scrutinizing the sources in a scrupulous manner. They should bear in mind that their judgment might be bi

50、ased because of influences from the norms or standards of their own cultures. With this awareness, they are more likely to be tolerant of differing interpretations.Unit 7 Unit 7 Truth and Truth and ObjectiObjecti- -vityvity in Historical in HistoricalResearchResearchText BClassroom activitieslGive a

51、 four-minute presentation on your findings in Researching / Text B. P139Dilemmas with Historical TruthUnit 7 Unit 7 Truth and Truth and ObjectiObjecti- -vityvity in Historical in HistoricalResearchResearchl Cultural relativism Text BSupplementary informationCultural relativism is a concept that has

52、been widely used in philosophy, sociology, anthropology and cultural studies.It maintains that there is no ultimate benchmark of good or evil because our moral or ethical systems vary from culture to culture. These differing ethical or moral norms are all products of individual societies, and they a

53、re all equally valid, with no system being really more logical or better than any other. Therefore, any opinion on morality or ethics is subject to the cultural perspective of each person. If we are more aware of cultural relativism, we tend to be less blind and arrogant in relation to other societi

54、es and less rigid in evaluating the ideas of other people. Dilemmas with Historical TruthUnit 7 Unit 7 Truth and Truth and ObjectiObjecti- -vityvity in Historical in HistoricalResearchResearchText BSupplementary informationThe Hossbach Memorandum is a summary of German dictator Adolf Hitlers confere

55、nce with his high-ranking military officers and foreign affair minister on November 5, 1937. There were no official minutes for the meeting. Colonel Hossbach, who was present at the meeting, drew up a memorandum for the meeting five days afterwards. The memorandum states that Hitler outlined his for

56、eign policy for the coming years by saying that Germanys future lied in solving the need of living space through acquisition of territory. The document has been claimed as the premeditated master plan of Hitler for European domination.l Hossbach Memorandum Dilemmas with Historical TruthUnit 7 Unit 7

57、 Truth and Truth and ObjectiObjecti- -vityvity in Historical in HistoricalResearchResearchText BSupplementary informationl Thomas Kuhn Thomas Samuel Kuhn (19221996) is one of the most influential philosophers of science of the twentieth century. His masterpiece, The Structure of Scientific Revolutio

58、ns, was published in1962 and still remains one of the most cited academic books even now. In this book, Kuhn proposed that the progress of science can be characterized as periods of stable growth punctuated by revisionary revolutions. In other words, the development of scientific fields undergo peri

59、odic paradigm shifts rather than solely progressing in a linear and continuous way.Dilemmas with Historical TruthUnit 7 Unit 7 Truth and Truth and ObjectiObjecti- -vityvity in Historical in HistoricalResearchResearchUnit 7 Unit 7 Truth and Truth and ObjectiObjecti- -vityvity in Historical in Histori

60、calResearchResearch Text C Being a Historian Classroom activitiesUnit 7 Unit 7 Truth and Truth and ObjectiObjecti- -vityvity in Historical in HistoricalResearchResearchBeing a Historian Text CClassroom activitieslWork in small groups to discuss the essential qualities of a great historian.Suggested