Responsible History / / Antoon De Baets.

• VerfasserIn: Baets, Antoon De,
• MitwirkendeR: Kocka, Jürgen,
• Place / Publishing House: New York; , Oxford : : Berghahn Books, , [2008]; ©2009
• Year of Publication: 2008
• Language: English
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (292 p.)

“I can warmly recommend Responsible History to any concerned historian in need of a reliable compass for responsible conduct. I endorse Voltaire’s words "ed in this book: ‘Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.’ Responsible conduct is necessary because irresponsible conduct is dangerous.” [From the Foreword.] The abuse of history is common and quite possibly once more on the rise. Although this is well documented, there is no general theory that enables historians to identify, prove, explain, and evaluate the many types of abuse of history. In this book, the author, founder of the Network of Concerned Historians, presents such a theory. Reflecting on the responsible use of history, the author identifies the duties that the living has toward the dead and analyzes the rights to memory and history necessary to fulfill these duties. He concludes his powerful argument by proposing a code of ethics as a guide for responsible historians. This work is vital for any historian who wants to oppose and prevent the abuse of history.

Table of Contents

Frontmatter -- CONTENTS -- List of Tables -- Foreword -- Acknowledgements -- Introduction -- PART I IRRESPONSIBLE HISTORY -- 1. A Theory of the Abuse of History -- 2. The Dictator’s Secret Archives -- 3. Defamation Cases against Historians -- PART II RESPONSIBLE HISTORY -- 4. Duties of the Living to the Dead -- 5. The Rights to Memory and History -- 6. A Code of Ethics for Historians -- Epilogue -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index