A perennial question in the philosophy of history is whether history is a science or an art. This thesis contests that this question constitutes a false dichotomy, limiting the discussion in such a way as to exclude other possibilities of understanding the nature of the historical task.
The speculative philosophies of Augustine, Kant, and Marx; the critical philosophies of Ranke, Comte along with the later positivist, and the historical idealist such as Collingwood will be surveyed. History is then examined along side art to discuss not only the similarities but, the differences.
Major similarities—narrative presentation, emplotation, and the selective nature of historical evidence—between history and fiction are critiqued. A word study of the Greek word ίστοριά will show the essential difference between history and literature. The essential nature of the historical task can best be revealed in the differences between history and art.
","abstract_html":"<p>A perennial question in the philosophy of history is whether history is a science or an art. This thesis contests that this question constitutes a false dichotomy, limiting the discussion in such a way as to exclude other possibilities of understanding the nature of the historical task.</p><p>The speculative philosophies of Augustine, Kant, and Marx; the critical philosophies of Ranke, Comte along with the later positivist, and the historical idealist such as Collingwood will be surveyed. History is then examined along side art to discuss not only the similarities but, the differences.</p><p>Major similarities—narrative presentation, emplotation, and the selective nature of historical evidence—between history and fiction are critiqued. A word study of the Greek word ίστοριά will show the essential difference between history and literature. The essential nature of the historical task can best be revealed in the differences between history and art.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Depew, Michael Lee"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"MA (Master of Arts)","degree_level":"Thesis - unrestricted","degree_discipline":"History","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2005,"date_issued":"2005-08-16T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2005-08-16T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:19:43Z","subjects":["Historiography","Historical Theory","Aristotle","Herodotus","Homer","\"historia\"","Pre-Socratics","Speculative Philosophy of History","Critical Philosophy of History","Arts and Humanities","History"],"languages":[],"rights":["Copyright by the authors."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1057","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Depew, Michael Lee"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2005-08-16T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["History"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis - unrestricted"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["MA (Master of Arts)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Historiography","Historical Theory","Aristotle","Herodotus","Homer","\"historia\"","Pre-Socratics","Speculative Philosophy of History","Critical Philosophy of History","Arts and Humanities","History"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright by the authors."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://dc.etsu.edu/context/etd/article/2214/viewcontent/DepewM081105f.pdf","https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1057"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["A perennial question in the philosophy of history is whether history is a science or an art. This thesis contests that this question constitutes a false dichotomy, limiting the discussion in such a way as to exclude other possibilities of understanding the nature of the historical task.
The speculative philosophies of Augustine, Kant, and Marx; the critical philosophies of Ranke, Comte along with the later positivist, and the historical idealist such as Collingwood will be surveyed. History is then examined along side art to discuss not only the similarities but, the differences.
Major similarities—narrative presentation, emplotation, and the selective nature of historical evidence—between history and fiction are critiqued. A word study of the Greek word ίστοριά will show the essential difference between history and literature. The essential nature of the historical task can best be revealed in the differences between history and art.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The Tension between Art and Science in Historical Writing."]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Depew, Michael Lee"],"dc:date.issued":["2005-08-16T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["A perennial question in the philosophy of history is whether history is a science or an art. This thesis contests that this question constitutes a false dichotomy, limiting the discussion in such a way as to exclude other possibilities of understanding the nature of the historical task.
The speculative philosophies of Augustine, Kant, and Marx; the critical philosophies of Ranke, Comte along with the later positivist, and the historical idealist such as Collingwood will be surveyed. History is then examined along side art to discuss not only the similarities but, the differences.
Major similarities—narrative presentation, emplotation, and the selective nature of historical evidence—between history and fiction are critiqued. A word study of the Greek word ίστοριά will show the essential difference between history and literature. The essential nature of the historical task can best be revealed in the differences between history and art.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://dc.etsu.edu/context/etd/article/2214/viewcontent/DepewM081105f.pdf","https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1057"],"dc:rights":["Copyright by the authors."],"dc:subject":["Historiography","Historical Theory","Aristotle","Herodotus","Homer","\"historia\"","Pre-Socratics","Speculative Philosophy of History","Critical Philosophy of History","Arts and Humanities","History"],"dc:title":["The Tension between Art and Science in Historical Writing."],"thesis:degree_discipline":["History"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis - unrestricted"],"thesis:degree_name":["MA (Master of Arts)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:19:43Z"}