The Whig Interpretation of History

TheWhighistorianstudiesthepastwithreferencetothepresent.Helooksforagencyinhistory.And,inhissearchfororiginsandcauses,hecaneasilyselectthosefactsthatgivesupporttohisthesisandthuseliminateotherfactsequallyimportanttothetotalpicture.TheWhighistoriantendstojudge,tomakehistoryanswerquestions,andtooverdramatizebysimplificationandorganizationaroundattractivethemes.Thevalueofhistory,however,asProfessorButterfieldshows,liesintherichnessofitsrecoveryoftheconcretelifeofthepast.Thetruehistorianstudiesthepastforitsownsake.Hesees'ineachgenerationaclashofwillsoutofwhichthereemergessomethingthatprobablynowmaneverwilled,'andhiscreativeworkistomakethepastintelligibletothepresentbyinsightandsympathywiththeconditionsofthepast.