HIST 4400

Students will critically evaluate whether the pursuit of an understanding of the past is either a desirable or an attainable objective. They will undertake a critical examination of historical methodology as currently practiced, analyzing key issues such as the nature of historical thinking; the validity of historical research and evidence; the uniqueness of historical analysis; and the significance of competing schools of historical interpretation. Students will also critically analyze why the past is so often the subject of controversy in popular and public culture; the nature of history outside the classroom; and the relationship between popular presentations of the past and scholarly writings about history. Note: This is a seminar-based course.