Moral History.

Sociological
History.

help in deciding on his conduct as a citizen. Professor Seeley, himself a historian, expressed the same opinion in a modified way when he said that "history while it should be scientific in its method should pursue a practical object. That is, it should not only gratify the reader's curiosity about the past, but modify his views of the present and his forecast of the future."1

Akin to this view of the historian's duty was the demand that history should point out the moral lessons of the past for the guidance of present or future generations. In all such cases the historian would be required to enter the domain of prophecy. In order to furnish such guidance the scholar would have to study the tendencies of the present, and follow the example of the weather bureau in forecasting probabilities. In the same class is the extreme school of sociological students who attempt to find the "laws of history." Following the method of natural science, they propose that the historian > shall find out the circumstances under which the events of social and political existence occur. Modern statistics show that a certain number of births, a certain number of business failures, and numerous other events of this character occur during a stated period, therefore it is but a step further to find out the necessary social conditions which always precede an agrarian revolt, a religious revival, or a period of excellence in art.

Historians are greatly indebted to the advocates of these views for suggestions of new causes in history

1

1 J. R. Seeley, Expansion of England. Introduction.

and new fields of research. Discussion of the subject will find place in a later chapter, but we may pause long enough to point out that the materials for such inquiry are insufficient to establish law in the sense of inevitable recurrence. Statistics and observations of this character were not made in earlier ages,

and to establish a law it must be first clearly shown that the conditions in all cases are identical. Thomas Buckle's Buckle's brilliant effort to write the history of civili- Theory. zation in England was based upon the theory that man was entirely the creature of his environment, mechanically regulated according to the laws of physiology and physical geography. Even if we assume as proved the difficult proposition that the will of man is a negligible quantity in history, the data upon which we might base laws of recurrence of events or social phenomena are insufficient to be exact. In fact, we must include the influence of individuals and the moral nature of peoples in any estimate of history. Man is guided by social experience only in a large and general way, for identical conditions never recur, and prophecy can form no part of the duty of the historian.

Moral lessons may be drawn from the events of Providential history, or from the biographies of distinguished History. personages, but it does not necessarily follow that these are to be included in the historical narrative. Histories have also been written for the purpose of showing the designs of God in the experiences and destinies of nations, but one need not be an atheist, nor deny an overruling Providence, if he takes a more modest attitude and does not assume to know

Development the Keynote.

exactly the infinite designs of the Creator, or profess to be able to point out the special applications of His wisdom. In all cases where teaching a lesson is the avowed object, whether it be political, moral, or theological, there is danger that the facts in greater or less degree will be unconsciously warped to suit the theme. Comment upon history is not history. The world needs first the truth about the past. The experience of scholars agrees with the dictum of Lord Bacon when he said, "It is the true office of history to represent the events themselves together with the counsels, and to leave the observations and conclusions thereupon to the liberty and faculty of every man's judgment.'

We have noted that the scope of history has broadened by taking more and more factors into account. Wars and statecraft are now regarded as a less important part of national life. This has come about not merely through curiosity to find out how people lived in time past, but in the search after the explanation of national development. We find differences in the wording of definitions of history because men attempt to compress into a sentence a philosophy of civilization, but in all definitions there is one invariable idea, that of evolution. The thread upon which the story of any nation hangs is development from the past into the present. The object of historical science is to find out how these things came to be. This is classified as genetic history. What was the genesis and growth of the life and institutions of the nation 1 Bacon's Advancement of Learning, II, 136.

under consideration, or what was its development during a given period, is the question to be answered. The object of research is to understand, "forschend zu verstehen.

At first sight this seems to be an obvious statement which might be assumed as understood, but this principle of development has not always been acted upon. In the light of it we may discover the nature of the research and the kinds of materials to be employed. Everything that contributes to the growth of a people must be considered. Whatever is not intimately connected with that development is outside the scope of historical inquiry, showing here a guiding principle in the elimination of the unimportant matter which every investigator meets, and with which the pages of history are often encumbered.

There is a practical reason, therefore, for the Importance of beginner to think carefully over his definition of Definition. history; not only in order to show its value as a study and the various uses to which it may be applied, but in order to direct the course of research. Frequently, close application to a special subject makes it appear to be extremely important, or facts very interesting in themselves are discovered and the student is inclined to include them all in his narrative. The choice of a theme of inquiry and the amount of attention which it deserves should be determined by the relation of the subject to the larger development of the nation or of society. However small the topic, the treatment should have in view its contribution

to the larger history of which it is a part. Formulas and definitions of history will be useful in so far as they keep the student steadfast to this point of view. Ranke's definition of universal history contains the elements which can be applied to any little portion:

"Universal History (Weltgeschichte) embraces the events of all nations, and times in their connection, in so far as these affect each other, appear one after the other, and all together form a living totality."

1

The foregoing pages have simply indicated in outline the tendencies which led to the modern conception of history, and in illustration well-known writers have been cited who both guided and reflected popular interest in the subject. If the history of modern scientific research were to be written another chapter would be necessary. The impulse came from Germany in the early part of the nineteenth century, and this tendency was emphasized by Leopold von Ranke and his disciples. German scholars have been ever since in the front ranks of a science which is no longer bounded by geographical limits, while Austria and France have become great centres of research. Inspiring as it is, the story of this movement will not be related here, but the principles which were revived and established by these schools will be made use of in this outline of method.

Ranke, Vorrede zur Weltgeschichte, VI-VIII.