Overview

Due to the influence of postmodernism, historical anti-realism has come to exercise a massive influence in contemporary philosophy of history. Edited by Tor Egil Førland and Branko Mitrović, The Povery of Anti-realism: Critical Perspectives on Postmodernist Philosophy of History presents perspectives that oppose anti-realist understanding of historians' work. The first part of the book gives an overview of contemporary anti-realist philosophy of history and shows that its claims are either so wide-ranging that they apply to all scientific knowledge, or pertain only to a select part of historians’ work. In the second part, the authors criticize major anti-realist tenets. These include: the assertion that the colligatory concepts historians use are without reference in the past; the idea that historical facts are theory-dependent and therefore unable to upend prevailing theories; Paul Roth’s application of Nelson Goodman’s “irrealist” theory of worldmaking to suggest a plurality of pasts; and the belief that multiple describability prevents historians from providing true and testable accounts of the past. The third and final part shows that the political implications of anti-realism are often other than left-leaning anti-realists think. Their reactions when confronted with the consequences of their theories indicate the inconsistency and untenability of postmodernist philosophy of history.

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9781666933628

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First past the post: this anthology is the first collection of essays in the philosophy of historiography past post-modernism, post-post-modernist if you wish. It challenges the dogma that knowledge of the past is entirely dependent on the perspectives of those who represent history and that hence historiography is a construction of historians rather than evidence based probable representation of the past, from Nietzsche to Foucault to Trump, and from politically reductionist extreme left to extreme right. As post-post replaces post-, philosophies of historiography and historiographic relativism recedes along with political totalitarianism and emotivist populism, this collection offers an alternative future through a philosophical reinterpretation of the historical sciences.--Aviezer Tucker, Harvard University

First past the post: this anthology is the first collection of essays in the philosophy of historiography past post-modernism, post-post-modernist if you wish. It challenges the dogma that knowledge of the past is entirely dependent on the perspectives of those who represent history and that hence historiography is a construction of historians rather than evidence based probable representation of the past, from Nietzsche to Foucault to Trump, and from politically reductionist extreme left to extreme right. As post-post replaces post-, philosophies of historiography and historiographic relativism recedes along with political totalitarianism and emotivist populism, this collection offers an alternative future through a philosophical reinterpretation of the historical sciences.

"First past the post: this anthology is the first collection of essays in the philosophy of historiography past post-modernism, post-post-modernist if you wish. It challenges the dogma that knowledge of the past is entirely dependent on the perspectives of those who represent history and that hence historiography is a construction of historians rather than evidence based probable representation of the past, from Nietzsche to Foucault to Trump, and from politically reductionist extreme left to extreme right. As post-post replaces post-, philosophies of historiography and historiographic relativism recedes along with political totalitarianism and emotivist populism, this collection offers an alternative future through a philosophical reinterpretation of the historical sciences. --Aviezer Tucker, Harvard University In this edited volume, 'anti-realism' and its associated postmodernist label are used as shorthand for views suggesting that true accounts of the past are impossible. The aim of the volume is to clean up the mess caused by philosophers of history who, in various ways, have attempted to discard external realism (the view that the world exists independently of our representations) and the correspondence theory of truth (that a belief is true if it corresponds to the facts). The critique of anti-realism is compelling, yet possibly superfluous. The vast majority of professional historians, while often splendidly disinterested in the philosophical underpinnings of their craft, analyze the past in the spirit of realism and are not about to switch epistemic orientation. The tenets of the realist program and the rebuttal of postmodernist epistemology are also well known. That said, the book is an intellectual feat. The structure of the book is neat, and the prose is readable and inventive. The Introduction by the editors is terse and instructive. The nine chapters which follow fit together in a sequenced compilation but can also be read separately. I found Chapters 7-9 the most innovative. Entering a new US election cycle, I can think of no better preparation than F�rland's Chapter 8 on the postmodern Frankenstein (Donald Trump), which is both thought-provoking and entertaining. The contributor's relentless attempt at keeping the house of philosophy of history clean and the ambition to convert the anti-realist infidels is praise worthy. -- ""Journal of Peace Research"""

Author Information

Tor Egil Førland is professor of history and head of the Department of Philosophy, Classics, History of Art and Ideas at the University of Oslo. Branko Mitrović is professor of architectural history and theory at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).

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