Historicity

History is the study of the past, principally how it relates to human beings. The term relates to past events as well as the remembrance, discovery, collection, organization, presentation and understanding of information about the events. The study of history has been condemned as a stumpy intellectual activity that encourages meager regurgitation of names, dates, places and events. It is regarded as dead, dusty and buried. This is a parody of Elton. Elton affirms, “The future is dark, the present burdensome. Only the past, dead and buried, bears contemplation.” Others have dismissed it as all relativist.

• History
• collection
• organization
• presentation

1. Austen, J. (1969). Northanger Abbey. 3rd Edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
2. Bindoff, S. T. (1962). “Political History” in Finberg, H. P. R. (ed.) Approaches to History Symposium. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.
3. Bloch, M. (1964). The Historian’s Craft Reflections on the Nature and Use of History and the Techniques and Methods of those who Write It. New York: Vintage Books Random House.
4. Carr, E. H. (1961). What is History? London: Penguin.
5. Elton, G. R. (1967). What is History? Glasgow: Fontana Press.
6. Elton, G. R. (1969). The Practice of History. London: Fontana.
7. Faulker, W. (1951). Requiem for a Nun. New York: Random House.
8. Jenkins, K. (1991). Re-Thinking History. London: Routledge.
9. Marwick, A. (1970). The Nature of History. London: MacMillan.
10. Orwell, G. (1949). Nineteen Eighty Four. London: Seeker and Warburg.