TITLE:
That Noble Dream: Analysis of the “Objectivity” Question of the Historiography of Ranke
AUTHORS:
Xianchuan Chen
KEYWORDS:
Historiography of Ranke, Objectivity Question, That Noble Dream
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Historical Studies,
Vol.9 No.3,
September
2,
2020
ABSTRACT: In the 19th century, the German
historian Leopold von Ranke integrated scientific methods and attitudes into history and put forward the historical
theory of “objectivism”, which made history free from the shackles of traditional religion and
political propaganda and became an independent discipline. However, questioned
by later scholars, Ranke’s opinion has been described as a “noble dream” given
that the absolute “objectivity” can hardly be achieved in history. In fact,
Ranke’s quest for history goes far beyond simply and objectively describing the
superficial facts, but rather seeks to find some connections and spirits behind
the facts of history. This quest goes beyond “pure facts” per se, but it must
be based on objective truth.