David S. Brown on Richard Hofstadter: Personalism in Personable Context is Correct

Social environment inevitably intrudes upon historical analysis, however, and so we must appreciate not simply the author’s work, but also the public and personal circumstances that sustain and gave meaning to his efforts. “Before you study the history,” one commentator advised, “study the historian…The historian, being an individual, is also a product of history, and of society; and it is in this twofold light that the student of history must learn to regard him.” Hofstadter referred to this paradox as the historian engagé – the participation of a scholar in the events he recorded. Involvement, no doubt, sacrificed a scientific pose, yet, as he knew from firsthand experience, it also provided the writer with a surfeit of fresh insights and new perspectives.

Quote from David Brown (2006). Richard Hofstadter: An Intellectual Biography, University of Chicago Press, xv.

Featured Image: Richard Hofstadter (1916-1970), see Wikipedia Entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Hofstadter

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Neville Buch

Professional Historian at Professional Historians Association (Queensland) Inc.

Neville Buch (Pronounced Book) Ph.D. is a certified member of the Professional Historians Association (Queensland). Since 2010 he has operated a sole trade business in history consultancy. He was a Q ANZAC 100 Fellow 2014-2015 at the State Library of Queensland. Dr Buch was the PHA (Qld) e-Bulletin, the monthly state association’s electronic publication, and was a member of its Management Committee. He is the Managing Director of the Brisbane Southside History Network.

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