3 Review(s)

As one of the premier historical thinkers of his generation, Joern Ruesen has made enormous contributions to the methods and theoretical framework of history as it is practiced today. In Evidence and Meaning, Ruesen surveys the seismic changes that have shaped the historical profession over the last half-century, while offering a clear, economical account of his theory of history. To traditional historiography Ruesen brings theoretical insights from philosophy, narrative theory, cultural studies, and the social sciences, developing an intricate but robust model of "historical thinking" as both a cognitive discipline and a cultural practice-one that is susceptible neither to naive empiricism nor radical relativism.