Deconstructing History

Diego M. Coraiola

Chapter 42 in Elgar Encyclopedia of Historical Organisation Studies, 2026, pp 158-159 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: Deconstructing History is Muslow's most well-known and well-cited work. The book aims to clarify the philosophical differences between different historical approaches. It lays bare and compares three major epistemologies of history, namely, positivism, constructivism and postmodernism. Each approach has an associated form of history. Positivism produces reconstructivist history, which aims to provide a truthful reconstruction of the past as it was. Constructivism generates constructivist history, which hopes to provide an interpretation of the past guided by questions of interest to historians. Postmodernism informs deconstructivist histories, which focus on unpacking the narrative structures underlying historical accounts and creating a sense of truth.

Keywords: The past; History; Postmodernism; Constructivism; Deconstructivism; Munslow (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035332922
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