Blogging Australian historiography
Wednesday 15 January 2003
My thanks to Dr Cathie Clements for pointing out her post on the Australian Council of Professional Historians Forum (14 January 2003). She starts with an annotated list of blog entries, signposting recent arguments about The Truth of what happened between Aborigines and Europeans.
She continues with a commentary on the nature of historical enquiry, evidence and history writing. She writes…
The current clash between historians and their supporters is a by-product of people viewing the world and sources of information from different positions. To some extent, I can empathise with both sides. Perhaps that is because I have never had much time for either ideology or theory. I recall trying to explain that outlook to someone and being told that, if you sit on the fence, you get shot at by both sides. I would argue, however, that sitting on the fence is quite different to occupying the middle ground. I would also argue that the fence that runs through the middle ground in the current debate is the key to understanding it.
Altogether, it’s a great set of links, a cogent explanation, and an invitation to further discussion (though only Professional Historians can join in).
Your comments are welcome here, whatever your credentials.