The whig interpretation of history was given its classic form by lord macaulay and other 19th century english historians mainly of whig political persuasion. Whigs british political party, one of two political parties in england, great britain, ireland, and later. The life and thought of herbert butterfield printerfriendly version pdf version. It pictured the history of mankind as a continued advance, albeit interrupted by periods of retreat, including the dark ages after the decline and fall of the roman empire, at last. Butterfield had in mind especially the historians of his own country but his criticism of the retrospective creation of a line of progress toward the glorious present can be and has subsequently been applied generally. Many critics saw the englishman and his history as a reversal of butterfields critique of. Eye on the presentthe whig history of science from the december 17, 2015 issue. Their methodology consists in abstracting things from their context, overdramatisation of. How could such a supposedly perfect political and economic system allow for such a disastrous and seemingly pointless enterprise. The whig party, a supposed revival of the historical whig party, launched in 2014.
Whig interpretation of history september 1965 edition. Sir herbert butterfield fba 7 october 1900 20 july 1979 was regius professor of history and vicechancellor of the university of cambridge. It really seems like a critique, or insult to the author when he is accused of whig history. They saw british history as the inevitable unfolding of progress, especially liberty and parliamentary rule, with the inexorable defeat of. The whig vision of history derived from the commonlaw claim of.
Taking butterfields classic work as reference, new historians established that presentism a term usually ascribed to whig history or anachronistic history was one of the most grievous errors in the writing of history graham, 1981, p. Butterfield defines the whig view of history as the theory that we study the past for the sake of the present p. The whig historian studies the past with reference to the present. Whig party history the whig party was a political party of the united states during the era of jacksonian democracy. The liberal ideas bred in sectarian circles, here and in america, did not become the common property of mankind until they were detached from their theological root, and became the creed of a party. When we read the history books given to children in the united states, it all. Freedom is a powerful force, but it does not advance on the wheels of historical inevitability. The whig interpretation of history herbert butterfield on. It is the era in which parties took the place of churches as a political force. The whig interpretation of history quotes showing 12 of 2 the study of the past with one eye upon the present is the source of all sins and sophistries in history. The whig interpretation of history whigs progressive vs. The whig interpretation of history by herbert butterfield when i first began to spend my time doing serious historical research, i often came across the word whiggish used in a negative sense to describe a historical thesis or set of ideas. Whig government, a list of british whig governments. Two cheers for the whig interpretation of history perspectives on.
This in turn was a product of the common law, one of the traditions that abulafia identifies as one of britains really englands distinctive features. At least it covers all that is ordinarily understood by the words, though possibly it gives them also an extended sense. When, like athenagoras, he condemns second marriage as specious adultery, he has no manner of doubt that he is expressing the opinion of st. The theory was dealt a shocking blow by the first world war and what followed it. A pejorative nickname for the kirk party, a radical presbyterian faction of the scottish covenanters during the 17thcentury wars of the three kingdoms. A member of an 18th and 19thcentury british political party that was opposed to the tories. The whig interpretation of history quotes by herbert. Sep 01, 2012 what was the whig interpretation of history, and why did butterfield find it so objectionable.
This book is a critical essay on the whig interpretation of history according to the theory standing behind, i. What butterfield famously called the whig interpretation of history was borne out of the seventeenthcentury idea of the ancient constitution. Whig history or whig historiography is an approach to historiography that presents the past as an inevitable progression towards ever greater liberty and enlightenment, culminating in modern forms of liberal democracy and constitutional monarchy in general, whig historians emphasize the rise of constitutional government, personal freedoms and scientific progress. Constantly such systems must be thrown back into the melting pot.
Liberty comes to the world from english traditions, wrote butterfield, not from french theories. The interpretation of history return to religiononline the interpretation of history by paul tillich paul tillich is generally considered one of the centurys outstanding and influential thinkers. When first coined it was to describe a narrative where everything just got better all the time. Considered integral to the second party system and operating from the early 1830s to the mid1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of president andrew jackson and his democratic party. To the editors steven weinberg suggests, in eye on the presentthe whig history of science nyr, december 17, 2015, that historians of science may be permitted to view the past in terms of modern knowledge called whig history, whereas others may not. It might be called the historians pathetic fallacy. This was how herbert butterfield described historians who project modern attitudes on to the past, pass moral judgments on historical figures, and regard history as significant only to the extent that it labored to. It is part and parcel of the whig interpretation of history that it studies the past with reference to the present. What does it mean to have a whiggish view of history. Read today comes across as tamer and more obvious in hindsight that its reputation suggests.
The whig narrative is the popular version of whig history. As summarized in his preface, it was the tendency in many historians to write on the side of protestants and whigs, to praise revolutions provided they have been successful, to emphasise certain principles of progress in the past and to produce a. A term used at the time for patriots, supporters of the american revolution. The whig interpretation of history york university. I am new to history, but what strikes me is that people in the field often complain that a certain text is too much whig history. The whig interpretation of history quotes by herbert butterfield. Do you think it was inevitable that the usa would one day have a nonwhite president. The whig interpretation of history by butterfield, herbert and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Whig history or whig historiography is an approach to historiography that presents the past as. Butterfields book, the whig interpretation of history 1931, became a classic for history students and is still widely read. Nov 20, 2007 a good old classic for the metahistory tag today. Central to the whig interpretation of history was the long conflict between crown and parliament that dominated the seventeenth century.
The whig narrative and american christianity james r. Lord woolf reason to talk of a torrent of constitutional changes. In fact many church councils were called to end what was considered heretical teachings and debates about the meaning of gods written word. Like much of butterfields work elegant and teasing you think its saying something important but youre not quite sure what it actually is. Robert mchenry may 12, 2008 ive been reading a history of histories by the british historian john burrow. Such an interpretation looks at the past in terms of present ideas. This is ethno historian francis jenningss interpretation of captain john masons. The whig interpretation of history is superb meditation on the craft of history and how it can be distorted by whig history. Whig synonyms, whig pronunciation, whig translation, english dictionary definition of whig. Butterfield to any interpretation of history that studies the past with reference to the present.
Scholasticism william of ockham the principle of parsimony. Apr 25, 2010 5081 the whig view of history the whig view of history is more often than not now used as a pejorative. The whig interpretation of history is not merely the property of whigs and it is much more subtle than mental bias. This article addresses the diminution of historical understanding in english. And the term whig interpretation has been applied to both the latter and to all types of presentminded history. Whiggism in the history of science and the study of the life. Whiggism in the history of science and the study of the. Oct 04, 2003 the whig interpretation of history is a concept in historiography that is too presentoriented when dealing with the past. And, in his search for origins and causes, he can easily select. The whig interpretation of history by sir herbert butterfield, september 1965, w. Were you pleased when president obama won the us election. The whig interpretation of history herbert butterfield. While they regretted the bloodshed of the civil war and the execution of king charles i, the whigs saw the defeat of the crown and its subjugation to parliament as essential to the establishment of a free society. For who can arrest the torrent that will pour onward to the west.
Eliohs butterfield the whig interpretation of history 6. Whiggamore raid, a march on edinburgh by supporters of the kirk faction in september 1648. Whig history has many similarities with the marxist theory of history, which believes that humanity is moving through historical stages to the classless, egalitarian society of communism. A classic essay on the distortions of history that occur when historians impose a rigid point of view on the study of the past. It characterized many historians, such as thomas babington macaulay 18001859. Sir herbert butterfield was regius professor of history and vicechancellor of the university of cambridge. The british historian herbert butterfield coined the term whig history in his short but influential book the whig interpretation of history 1931. Its a survey of how the writing of history has changed dare i say evolved. Whig history or whig historiography is the approach to historiography which presents the past as an inevitable progression towards ever greater liberty and enlightenment, culminating in modern forms of liberal democracy and constitutional monarchy quotes.
Whig partisan view of the english constitution and the whig view of history which dominated british historiography in the victorian era. The whig party was presumably against the war in mexico, but it was not against. Herbert butterfield and the interpretation of history. A peoples history of the united states, 1492present mv lindsey. The history of interpretation and current approaches to the bible biblical interpretation through the centuries throughout the centuries there have been hot debates about the meaning of scriptures. Eliohs butterfield the whig interpretation of history 2. The following study deals with the whig interpretation of history in what i conceive to be the accepted meaning of the phrase. On top of this critique, that whig history isnt tenable as it is demonstrably wrong, whig history contains the theoretically suspect category of progress, which is necessarily ideological in form. It is the essence of what we mean by the word unhistorical. It takes its name from the british whigs, advocates of the power of parliament, who opposed the tories, advocates of the power of the king. In that sense, it was applied by him later to the kind of history of science in which past science and scientists were judged in the light of modern l peter bowler, the whig interpretation of geology, biology and philosophy, 3 1988, 100. The british historian herbert butterfield, in his small but influential book the whig interpretation of history 1931 whose title actually coined the phrase. Whig history or whig historiography is the approach to historiography which presents the past as an inevitable progression towards ever greater liberty and enlightenment, culminating in modern forms of liberal democracy and constitutional monarchy.
History hereafter, the whig interpretation with a strong criticism of. Review of herbert butterfields the whig interpretation of. Herbert butterfield and the study of history the historical journal. It is part and parcel of the whig interpretation of history that it studies the past with. Tories reactionary herbert butterfield, the whig interpretation of history, london, 1931. This landing page will provide information regarding the host youre currently connected to, along with links to access the text archive and news updates related to the cdn. Herbert butterfield and the interpretation of history k.
So upon the whig interpretation of history we have imposed the peculiar historians ethics, by which we can overlook the fact that a king is a spendthrift and a rake, but cannot contain our moral passions if a king has too exalted a view of his own office. The whig interpretation of history herbert butterfield w. The whig interpretation of history higher intellect. The whig theory of history was the orthodox interpretation of the past right up until the great war. Jan 09, 2020 the whig interpretation of history by sir herbert butterfield, september 1965, w. Less a book than a lengthy essay, the whig interpretation of history is a. Herbert butterfield and the study of history volume 27 issue 3 g. In the whig interpretation of history, herbert butterfield critiques historians who let their perception of the present influence their study of the past. Over the course of his career, butterfield turned increasingly to. Herbert butterfield 19001979 was a british historian and philosopher of history, who also wrote christianity and history and the origins of history. You are currently accessing a host within our content delivery network, which places mirrors of our text archive in various locations globally. After teaching theology and philosophy at various german universities, he.
That is the transition which occupies the reign of charles ii. The whig interpretation of history paperback january 1, 1973 by herbert butterfield author see all 8 formats and editions hide other formats and editions. The whig interpretation of history is a concept in historiography that is too presentoriented when dealing with the past. The whig interpretation of history internet archive. It sees history as always progressing toward the abolition of arbitrary differences between people. History of the united states, from the discovery of the american. Herbert butterfields the whig interpretation of history. The whig interpretation of history herbert butterfield snippet view 1951. What was the whig interpretation of history, and why did butterfield find it so objectionable. Whiggish people almost universally the great and the good among white men.
As a british historian and philosopher of history, he is remembered chiefly for a short volume early in his career entitled the whig interpretation of history 1931 and for his origins of modern science 1949. Gibraltar, and the urgency of his king for peace, explain and justify the. The theory that is behind the whig interpretation the theory that we study the past for the sake of the present is one that is really introduced for the purpose of facilitating the abridgement of history. The whig interpretation of history by herbert butterfield.