In a dozen essays written between the 1970s and the 1990s, Haskell (history, Rice U.) advocates a moderate historicism that balances the force of perspective and pluralistic practices in a liberal democratic society with traditional distinctions between fact and fiction, scholarship and propaganda, and right and might. Historians cast nets into the past, he says, and what they reap depends heavily on the nature of the net, but without a net, they would capture nothing at all. His arguments are grounded in discussions of slavery, capitalism, academic freedom, John Stuart Mill, and other topics. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.
"Haskell's method integrates the disciplinary priorities of historians into a style of discourse characteristic of philosophers, theologians, and political theorists... The community of specialists [in U.S. history] has no more thoughtful and conscientious student of its own epistemic authority than Thomas L. Haskell." -- David A. Hollinger, Journal of American History
"A dozen essays, thoughtful and thought-provoking, by a distinguished intellectual historian and historical critic." -- Virginia Quarterly Review
"The most sophisticated contribution by a historian to the contemporary debate over the nature of historical knowledge." -- Books and Culture
"Haskell's reputation as one of the foremost writers on topics in the philosophy of history is well deserved... A challenging read well worth the effort." -- Choice
"Haskell provides a deeper understanding of the relationship between professional societies and authoritative knowledge and how this led to the rise of distinctive intellectual societies." -- PAR Public Administration Review