Historiography is ... Russian historiography

Can you remember when we studied history at school or university? Was it interesting? Most likely, your answer will depend on how the material was stated by your teacher. If he just made you memorize certain dates, then it's no wonder that history seemed to you "a boredom of death." However, maybe everything was completely different, and your teacher could breathe life into the historical science. When he spoke of life in ancient Egypt or in the time of Sparta, the historical narrative literally came to life in the minds of inquiring students. Did you feel that the historical figures literally came to life in your mind? Well, if it was so. What's the matter? Why can the approach of one teacher differ so much from that of another? The difference between a good history teacher and a bad one is the same as the difference between dry history and historiography. It turns out that the stages of historiography tend to describe events much more vividly. How does this happen? Let's find out.

What is historiography?

Historiography is, more simply, the availability of complete, systematized information that reveals the essence of a certain direction in history. You can give a simple example. Biblical historiography is a collection of collected information about the Jewish people of biblical times, the availability of appropriate research in the field of archeology, the vocabulary of the Hebrew language and accessible scientific discoveries; A clear system of facts on the historical line or evidence, which are thematically decorated.

If we talk about this kind of research as a science, then historiography is a discipline that studies history and its directions. Historiography monitors the quality of scientific research and their clear design. This includes checking the relevance of information for researchers for whom it was highlighted. According to Ozhegov's dictionary, the historiography of history is the science of the development of historical knowledge and the methods of historical research.

Origin of Historiography

Historiography is a method of investigating history, perfected by Croce, through which it is possible to see a connection between history and philosophy. Why did you need this science? The fact is that in addition to observation and recording of facts, there is always a need to explain the events that have occurred. And opinions, as you know, people are different. Therefore, a correct perception of reality must necessarily influence how history will describe its point of view. In addition, Croce attached great importance to modernity.

Since historical documents are often just a presentation of a purely subjective point of view of the author, which can drastically differ from reality, then chronological and correct approach to research are important. True, both these concepts can not be called opposites. Rather, these are two completely different points of view. Chronology sets out only facts, while history is life. The chronicle is lost in the past, and history is modern at all times. In addition, any meaningless story turns into a banal chronology. In Croce's opinion, history could not come from the chronicles, just as the living does not come from the dead.

Philological history

What is a philological story? This is an approach through which, for example, from several historical works or books one can get one. This technique in Russian is called a compilation - the union of other people's research and ideas, without independent processing of primary sources. The person using this approach lacks the need to break through the mountain of books, but the end result obtained as a result of such studies is practically of no use. We get dry facts, not always, perhaps, reliable, but we lose the most important thing - a living history. Thus, a history based on philology may be true, but there is no truth in it. Applicants of such a method can and want to convince both others and themselves that a document is an indisputable argument in favor of truth. Thus, they, as compilers of chronology, seek the truth within themselves, but they miss the most important. Such an approach can not in any way affect the true development of historiography.

One more thing about the origin of historiography

If we talk about what Soviet historiography is or some other, it can be noted that earlier by this term they understood what it means, namely "history on the letter" (graphos-letter). However, later everything changed, and today behind this expression see the history of history itself. Among those who stood at the origins of historiography, we can name SM Soloviev, VO Klyuchevsky and PN Milyukov. They, like some others, investigated both facts-based assumptions and already proven systems. By the end of the 19th century, scientists had developed the entire palette of scientific historical studies. In addition to the above-mentioned researchers, there are others who have clarified the importance of historiography as a science, and who described the process of forming a study of the past using a scientific approach. As we said above, historiography is above the philological narrow concept of the world. Rather, it is an attempt to recreate the world as it was hundreds or even thousands of years ago, a desire to penetrate the gaze of thought in those ancient times and even resurrect the life and life of people who lived long ago.

The Meaning of Historiography

The main goal of historiography is a complete comprehension of both past and present history as a science. Thanks to it, it becomes possible to determine in which direction history will develop and make scientific research more accurate. Thanks to historiography, it becomes possible to train more experienced experts in the field of history.

In fact, there would be a huge gap between science and practice if historiography did not link them, which turns theory into practical application. In addition, if a professional historian knows the origin of the science that he studies and teaches, it helps him to be an excellent professional in his field.

Modern attempts to broaden the view on historiography

In the last few decades, many efforts have been made to bring a new perspective on the history of historical science. Among the published literature, one can especially note the collection "Soviet Historiography", 1996 edition, as well as the book "Domestic Historical Science in the Soviet era" (2002). We should not be surprised at the recent interest in historiography, as it opens the way to a deeper exploration of historical science.

Russian historiography

Efforts aimed at better understanding the history of Russia - the idea is not new. There were years, people were changing, which means that the approaches to studying also changed. Previously, history was studied more in order to discover precedents of the past. However, at all times, Russian historiography was formed under the influence of the philosophy of the time in which the researcher lived. Providentialism, in no way connected with the true teachings of the Holy Scriptures, served as the main engine of the desire to understand history in the Middle Ages. Then any event or incident was attributed to God's intervention, ignoring the fact that the Bible clearly states: "Man rules man, to his detriment." Thus Scripture indicates that for any turn of events in history, the people who produce them are primarily responsible. Russian historiography has also gone through such non-factual arguments.

Representation of the Slavs

Although today it is not known exactly all the ideas of people that existed during the times of Kievan Rus, but investigating the facts, you can still see that in those days there were many legends and songs that reflect the world of views of the ancient Slavs. Their ideas about the world around them are radically different from today's. And although the particles of truth, perhaps they are, in general, no one will trust with such fads. One can, however, heed the words of one writer who called all the Slavic songs, epics, tales and proverbs "the dignity and mind of the people." In other words, people who wrote them thought the same way.

However, with the passage of time, with the advent of new historical facts and increased knowledge in the field of approach to the study of history, science itself has improved. With the emergence of new points of view and the writing of the latest scientific works, the history has changed and the principles of its research have been improved.

Old attempts to keep a chronology

Reading most of the ancient scientific works on history, you can notice one interesting characteristic feature - the narrative of any events usually began from time immemorial and was drunk in the meantime, in which the author himself lived. For modern scientists, the information that the historian wrote about the time he lived himself is of more importance, since this information is the most plausible and reliable. Studying the works of different authors shows that even then the difference in views of different people on the same issues was observed. So, different people often had a completely different opinion about a specific historical event.

What have we learned?

Thus, we were able to plunge into the Middle Ages and see how different the approaches to scientific research differed from our time. They could briefly see what influenced the development of history as a science, and examined how the flat scientific method differs from a truly living study, the door to which opens the scientific approach known today as historiography. Applying this knowledge in a personal study, you can make the study of history more interesting for yourself and others. The historiography of Kievan Rus or the historiography of Russia is now not for you.