history - a short term to describe the events that occurred in the past at different times and in different places.Also, it is a science that studies the sources of the past in order to learn about the events and their sequence, causes and draw up an objective picture of the process occurs.Methods and sources of studying history include chronicles, archaeological findings, the study of official documents, the use of logic simulation.
What and how studying history?
In modern literature can count up to 30 different definitions of the subject of history.Such a large number provoked by the fact that this science studies and develop people with different world views, different experiences and lifestyle.The same diversity of opinion prevails among scientists and explanations regarding the historical process.
But if as a subject may make different objects and processes, the methods are the same.And the object, and the methods of studying the history of dealing with the objective phenomena, for which you can use proven standard approach.All variety of methods can be divided into three categories: general scientific, historical, designed specifically to work with sources and concepts of this science, and special (created by scientists from other areas and borrowed by historians).
Different approaches and methods of studying
By scientific methods include two - logical and historical.These two approaches to the study of phenomena complement and enrich each other, the logic allows us to generalize the study and draw conclusions where powerless historical approach.
For the study of the events and processes scientists use such methods:
- chronological - all events are arranged strictly according to the chronological order;
- synchronic - considered various events and their relationship to the different points of the country and the world at one and the same time.
Inside chronological method also highlight different approaches.Chronologically-problem approach explores happened for ages, within epochs - on.Problem-chronological - on the contrary: take any one problem or aspect of life, development and change, and which are studied in the context of the passing of time.
In addition to these, relatively isolated, historical, systemic-structural, statistical and retrospective methods, and the method of periodization and sociological research.
data sources - the basis of historical science
methods and sources of the study of history intertwined.Facts - that's all.The study of the sources of the facts involved in a separate auxiliary discipline - a source.There are primary and secondary sources of studying history, to classify them according to the process of information transfer and the nature of the media:
- written (birch bark, clay tablets, papyri, and books);
- material (tools, utensils, furniture, clothing, weapons, architectural structures);
- ethnographic sources;
- folklore (fairy tales, songs, legends, ballads);
- linguistic;
- Film and Photo.
Each source requires careful analysis and thoughtful approach, the assessment of its reliability.
moot point, however, the story - it is not only the science of the facts, it is also the interpretation of the facts.Therefore, methods and sources of the study of history seriously affect the results of the research, the conclusions of the events and their causes.
There are numerous historical documents reporting the facts that various scholars have interpreted differently.About the origin and destination of the Great Wall of China also have different views, one of them - that the wall was built northern neighbors of China to protect North.At the same time, the common theory of its occurrence states that the wall built by the Chinese themselves.
outlined in textbooks of historical events - the only one "official" version of history.Many historical facts allow at least two, and even more interpretations of causality.Different interpretations appear not only due to conflicting sources, play a role and the methods and sources of the study of history, and the subtleties of the translation of ancient texts, and features world research scientists.
Principles of examination of the facts
Given all this, important for the scientist and historian are the principles of the study of historical facts.The principle - this is the tool that allows the study of the past "to stand with both feet on the ground."Principles and methods for the study of history like that, and the first and second multiple:
- principle of historicism.It requires that all the known facts and events were considered only through the prism of time to which they relate.It is impossible to study the phenomenon separately, on their own, as they emerged from the interaction of many factors and have meaning only in context.
- principle of objectivity.It requires study and take into account all the known facts, nothing except not throwing without trying to fit known as "necessary" scheme or theory.
- principle of social approach, or the principle of party affiliation.
- principles of alternative.
observance of all principles does not guarantee reliable conclusions, moreover, another researcher, with the same set of data, and also observe the principles of research can get a completely different result.
