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
Only one of the choices is supported by the statement. Which claim do you think is supported by the statement?
I think it's "B"
Right! :-)
Thanks
To determine the correct answer, let's analyze the statement provided. The statement states that Jules Michelet, despite sympathizing with the Middle Ages and the Revolutionary epoch in France, wrote his best work on the despotic French monarchy that he despised.
This statement suggests that the best history is not necessarily written by historians in sympathy with their subject. Despite his personal disdain for the subject matter, Jules Michelet still produced his best work on the despotic French monarchy.
Therefore, the answer is b) the best history is not necessarily written by historians in sympathy with their subject.