The great French historian Jules Michelet (1798-1874) sympathized with the French Middle Ages and with the Revolutionary epoch in France, yet he wrote his best work on the despotic French monarchy, which he despised.
5) The statement above, if true, would most clearly support which of the following general claims about the writing of history?
A) Historians should keep personal opinions out of their historical writing.
B) The best history is not necessarily written by historians in sympathy with their subject.
C) Historians tend to write about historical subjects with which they sympathize.
D) It is difficult to write objectively about the French monarchy.
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To determine the answer, we need to analyze the statement provided and consider each option.
The statement mentions that Jules Michelet sympathized with the French Middle Ages and the Revolutionary epoch but wrote his best work on the despotic French monarchy, which he despised.
Option A) Historians should keep personal opinions out of their historical writing: This option suggests that historians should remain neutral and not allow their personal opinions to influence their writing. However, based on the information given, it seems that Jules Michelet's personal opinions did play a role in his writing.
Option B) The best history is not necessarily written by historians in sympathy with their subject: This option aligns with the statement. Despite having sympathy for the French Middle Ages and the Revolutionary epoch, Jules Michelet wrote his best work on the despotic French monarchy, which indicates that the best history may not always be written by historians who feel sympathetic towards their subject.
Option C) Historians tend to write about historical subjects with which they sympathize: This option contradicts the information given in the statement. According to the statement, Jules Michelet wrote his best work on a subject he despised (the despotic French monarchy), indicating that historians might not always write about subjects they sympathize with.
Option D) It is difficult to write objectively about the French monarchy: This option is not directly supported by the information in the statement. The statement mentions Jules Michelet's personal opinions but does not indicate whether it was difficult for him to write objectively about the French monarchy.
Given the analysis, the best answer is B) The best history is not necessarily written by historians in sympathy with their subject.