ERIC Number: EJ1135443
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0013-1857
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Historical Thinking--and Its Alleged Unnaturalness
Levisohn, Jon A.
Educational Philosophy and Theory, v49 n6 p618-630 2017
No articulation of "historical thinking" has been as influential as Sam Wineburg's position, according to which historical thinking is, fundamentally, the recognition of the ways in which the past is different than the present. Wineburg argues, further, that achieving that state is "unnatural." This paper critiques both of these claims, arguing instead that we should replace a generic conception of historical thinking with one that is much more rooted in the specific practice of the discipline. It is surely necessary for students to learn this practice, but it is not unnatural. Instead, learning to think historically is learning to speak the language of the discipline that we call "history."
Descriptors: Historical Interpretation, Educational Philosophy, Concept Formation, Criticism, History Instruction, Educational Practices, Teaching Methods
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
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Language: English
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