Evidence and Meaning

As one of the premier historical thinkers of his generation, Jorn Rusen has made enormous contributions to the methods and theoretical framework of history as it is practiced today. In Evidence and Meaning, Rusen 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 Rusen 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.