Impartiality, Objectivity, and Political Engagement in Nineteenth-Century French Historiography: Monod and the Dreyfus Affair
Camille Creyghton
At the end of 1897, French historian Gabriel Monod was one first intellectuals and academic to publicly engage in case Alfred Dreyfus, Jewish army officer condemned for high treason. Using his technical skills paleography, had concluded that Dreyfus could not be author single exhibit therefore innocent. This article traces connections between Monod’s public engagement ideas about purpose, methods, epistemology history, historical impartiality particular. It will shown late nineteenth-century historiography, virtue impartiality, which traditionally is conceived as taking a stance “above parties,” strongly connected with methodological procedures, skills, source criticism—features associated newer epistemic objectivity. Furthermore, argues historians’ virtues were embedded broader ethos informed their behavior both inside professional context world outside academia. entanglement ethical provide basis explaining conduct during affair ways caused him, turn, rethink epistemics. In so doing, contributes recent debates among historians historiography on scholarly practices by introducing dimension sociopolitical situatedness.
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