What is History Essay

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In the light of the ideas discussed by Kremmer, why has it been so difficult for historiansto arrive at the truth about the past?In your response, present a sustained argument which is supported by explicit referenceto the source AND at least TWO other relevant sources. INTRO: The truth is possibly the most ambiguous quality of historiography, despite its position as theultimate goal of most historians. Our ideas of the truth are shaped by our contexts and perspectives,and while it may be comforting to think that there is only one ultimate truth historians must strive toachieve, this is not the case. Historians and their histories are influenced irrevocably by theirbackgrounds and experiences, which in turn impact upon the way they believe history should beapproached and thus the history they ultimately produce. One historian’s truth will not be the sameas every other historian’s truth, and it is this uncertainty that makes the study of history sointeresting and exciting. Kremmer’s argument that history is complex, ever-changing and capable ofbeing repeated, often painfully, by contemporary society is an argument that encompasses the verynature of historiography itself. Other historians, including Thucydides, Edward Gibbon and E. H.Carr all have their own perspectives on the nature of historiography, and thus will inevitably havevarious perspectives on the nature of truth and its ability to be achieved.