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OverviewIn The Philosophical Structure of Historical Explanation, Paul A. Roth develops an argument that resolves disputes persisting since the nineteenth century about the scientific status of history. He does this by showing why historical explanations must take the form of a narrative, making their logic explicit, and revealing how the rational evaluation of narrative explanation becomes possible. The book also develops a nonrealist (irrealist) metaphysics and epistemology of history—that is, it argues that there exists no one fixed past, but many pasts. It includes a novel reading of Thomas S. Kuhn’s The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, displaying how Kuhn offers a narrative explanation of theory change in science. And it situates narrative explanations within a naturalistic framework. The first four chapters defuse methodological and metaphysical objections to narrative explanations. The final three chapters explore how narrative explanations relate to other sciences. This book will be of interest to researchers in historiography, philosophy of history, philosophy of science, philosophy of social science, and epistemology. Full Product DetailsAuthor: Paul A. RothPublisher: Northwestern University Press Imprint: Northwestern University Press Weight: 0.633kg ISBN: 9780810140882ISBN 10: 0810140888 Pages: 216 Publication Date: 30 October 2019 Audience: Professional and scholarly , Professional & Vocational Format: Hardback Publisher's Status: Active Availability: In stock We have confirmation that this item is in stock with the supplier. It will be ordered in for you and dispatched immediately. Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction 1. Reviving Analytic Philosophy of History 2. Problems for Narratives Explanations: The Case of History 3. The Pasts 4. Essentially Narrative Explanations 5. The Silence of the Norms 6. Kuhn's Narrative Construction of Normal Science 7. Methodological Naturalism and Its Consequences Conclusion Notes Works Cited IndexReviews“In this clear, forceful, and inspiring book, Paul A. Roth sets for himself an audacious task: the revival of philosophy of history and a recalibration of how to understand and account for historical explanation. Roth succeeds and with surgical precision offers a new account of narrative historical explanation that holds its own distinct epistemological and metaphysical factors and yet also aligns with other forms of scientific knowledge. It is an erudite and original work that is essential reading for all scholars invested in understanding our relation to the past and the ways that the histories we write come to impact our present and future.” —Ethan Kleinberg, author of Haunting History: For a Deconstructive Approach to the Past In this clear, forceful, and inspiring book, Paul A. Roth sets for himself an audacious task: the revival of philosophy of history and a recalibration of how to understand and account for historical explanation. Roth succeeds and with surgical precision offers a new account of narrative historical explanation that holds its own distinct epistemological and metaphysical factors and yet also aligns with other forms of scientific knowledge. It is an erudite and original work that is essential reading for all scholars invested in understanding our relation to the past and the ways that the histories we write come to impact our present and future. -Ethan Kleinberg, author of Haunting History: For a Deconstructive Approach to the Past In this clear, forceful, and inspiring book, Paul A. Roth sets for himself an audacious task: the revival of philosophy of history and a recalibration of how to understand and account for historical explanation. Roth succeeds and with surgical precision offers a new account of narrative historical explanation that holds its own distinct epistemological and metaphysical factors and yet also aligns with other forms of scientific knowledge. It is an erudite and original work that is essential reading for all scholars invested in understanding our relation to the past and the ways that the histories we write come to impact our present and future. --Ethan Kleinberg, author of Haunting History: For a Deconstructive Approach to the Past Author InformationPAUL A. ROTH is Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Tab Content 6Author Website:Countries AvailableAll regions |