Скачать или смотреть Module 35: Enlightenment, Scientific Revolution and Historiography

The 17th and 18th centuries saw the Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment, both of which brought about massive changes to history writing. In the 17th Century, history had to face philosophical criticism from rationalism and skepticism and while in the intellectual sphere the humanist trends of the 16th century were persisting, in practice historians had to deal with a more dangerous and volatile political and religious scenario.

The questioning of history as a legitimate discipline by the rationalists led to the explosive growth of focus on historiography and methodology. It has been argued that the Antiquarian scholarship of this period brought about a revolution in historical method. Notable historians were Francis Bacon, Pierre Bayle and Giambattista Vico. History flourished during the Enlightenment, and we see a new type of historian, the philosopher-historian come forth as its chief exponent. These historians were possessed of a cosmopolitan outlook and they greatly expanded the scope of history. Notable historians were Montesquieu, Voltaire and Catherine Macaulay.