The Study of History at Duke
History seeks to develop insight into a particular period of past human experience, whether revolutions in France, China or Russia; civil wars in England or the United States; colonial encounters of Africans and Native Americans with Europeans; migrations of men and women among continents; or the evolution of social classes in different societies. To impart these insights and perspectives, courses in history attempt to understand the causes, development and consequences of historical processes, utilizing documentary evidence as well as interpretive analysis. The relationship between past events our own time has been well summarized by the eminent historian, E. H. Carr: “The past is intelligible to us only in the light of the present; and we fully understand the present only in the light of the past. To enable man to understand the society of the past and to increase his mastery over the society of the present is the dual function of history.”
The methodological approaches explored in our courses range from the traditional avenues of political, economic, military, and intellectual history to the newer fields of labor, social, oral and comparative history. There are also opportunities to concentrate in interdisciplinary specialties such as women’s history, the history of science, technology and medicine, and geographical area studies in world cultures. The capstone of the program is the history honors seminar, which enrolls about 15 seniors, each of whom writes an honors paper based on independent, original research. The best of these lead to graduation with distinction.
The wide variety of subject areas and approaches has made the History Department’s offerings appealing both to those interested in a broad cultural background and to those who seek courses directed toward professional careers. The uses of history are manifold. The science student benefits from knowledge of past human assumptions about causality as they relate to the development of scientific thought. The student in the social sciences will more successfully understand contemporary social change by examining evolutionary trends in past societies. The humanities student reads history to better comprehend the role and development of philosophy, literature, art, and music in different societies. Many students also seek to deepen their knowledge of ethical problems through an investigation of how other peoples in history have attempted to resolve the ethical dilemmas they faced. Historical studies do much to foster a greater understanding of the creative process through the cultivation of historical imagination and effective writing. To think well is to write well in history.