The Science of History in Victorian Britain: Making the Past Speak - Paperback

by Ian Hesketh (Author)

New attitudes towards history in nineteenth-century Britain saw a rejection of romantic, literary techniques in favour of a professionalized, scientific methodology. The development of history as a scientific discipline was undertaken by several key historians of the Victorian period, influenced by German scientific history and British natural philosophy. This study examines parallels between the professionalization of both history and science at the time, which have previously been overlooked. Hesketh challenges accepted notions of a single scientific approach to history. Instead, he draws on a variety of sources--monographs, lectures, correspondence--from eminent Victorian historians to uncover numerous competing discourses.

Author Biography

Ian Hesketh is associate professor of history in the School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry at the University of Queensland.