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Whig Interpretation of History (view source)
Revision as of 03:43, December 11, 2009
, 03:43, December 11, 2009new
The '''Whig Interpretation of History''' is a concept in [[historiography]] that is too present-oriented when dealing with the past. It characterized many historians, such as [[Thomas Babington Macaulay]] (1800-1859). They saw British history as the inevitable unfolding of progress, especially liberty and parliamentary rule, with the inexorable defeat of Toryism and absolute monarchy. 20th century historians took a much more nuanced approach and dropped the notion of inevitable progress. They now warn against looking at the past as a simple pathway to the present, insisting there were always multiple contingencies along the way.
==Further reading ==
* Butterfield, Herbert. ''The Whig interpretation of history'' (1931)[http://books.google.com/books?id=Ia6IpQKrx58C&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q=&f=false online]
[[Category:Historians]]
==Further reading ==
* Butterfield, Herbert. ''The Whig interpretation of history'' (1931)[http://books.google.com/books?id=Ia6IpQKrx58C&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q=&f=false online]
[[Category:Historians]]