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Traditionally, the study of history has had fixed boundaries
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Updated on: 22 Dec 2021, 21:06
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Traditionally, the study of history has had fixed boundaries and focal points—periods, countries, dramatic events, and great leaders. It also has had clear and firm notions of scholarly procedure: how one inquires into a historical problem, how one presents and documents one’s findings, what constitutes admissible and adequate proof.
Anyone who has followed recent historical literature can testify to the revolution that is taking place in historical studies. The currently fashionable subjects come directly from the sociology catalog: childhood, work, leisure. The new subjects are accompanied by new methods. Where history once was primarily narrative, it is now entirely analytic. The old questions “What happened?” and “How did it happen?” have given way to the question “Why did it happen?” Prominent among the methods used to answer the question “Why” is psychoanalysis, and its use has given rise to psychohistory.
Psychohistory does not merely use psychological explanations in historical contexts. Historians have always used such explanations when they were appropriate and when there was sufficient evidence for them. But this pragmatic use of psychology is not what psychohistorians intend. They are committed, not just to psychology in general, but to Freudian psychoanalysis. This commitment precludes a commitment to history as historians have always understood it.
Psychohistory derives its “facts” not from history, the detailed records of events and their consequences, but from psychoanalysis of the individuals who made history, and deduces its theories not from this or that instance in their lives, but from a view of human nature that transcends history. It denies the basic criterion of historical evidence: that evidence be publicly accessible to, and therefore assessable by, all historians. And it violates the basic tenet of historical method: that historians be alert to the negative instances that would refute their theses. Psychohistorians, convinced of the absolute rightness of their own theories, are also convinced that theirs is the “deepest” explanation of any event, that other explanations fall short of the truth.
Psychohistory is not content to violate the discipline of history (in the sense of the proper mode of studying and writing about the past); it also violates the past itself. It denies to the past an integrity and will of its own, in which people acted out of a variety of motives and in which events had a multiplicity of causes and effects. It imposes upon the past the same determinism that it imposes upon the present, thus robbing people and events of their individuality and of their complexity. Instead of respecting the particularity of the past, it assimilates all events, past and present, into a single deterministic schema that is presumed to be true at all times and in all circumstances.
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55% (03:15) correct
45% (02:42) wrong based on 112 sessions
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20. Which of the following best states the main point of the passage?
(A) The approach of psychohistorians to historical study is currently in vogue even though it lacks the rigor and verifiability of traditional historical method. (B) Traditional historians can benefit from studying the techniques and findings of psychohistorians. (C) Areas of sociological study such as childhood and work are of little interest to traditional historians. (D) The psychological assessment of an individual’s behavior and attitudes is more informative than the details of his or her daily life. (E) History is composed of unique and nonrepeating events that must be individually analyzed on the basis of publicly verifiable evidence.
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21. It can be inferred from the passage that one way in which traditional history can be distinguished from psychohistory is that traditional history usually
(A) views past events as complex and having their own individuality (B) relies on a single interpretation of human behavior to explain historical events (C) interprets historical events in such a way that their specific nature is transcended (D) turns to psychological explanations in historical contexts to account for events (E) relies strictly on data that are concrete and quantifiable
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22. It can be inferred from the passage that the methods used by psychohistorians probably prevent them from
(A) presenting their material in chronological order (B) producing a one-sided picture of an individual’s personality and motivations (C) uncovering alternative explanations that might cause them to question their own conclusions (D) offering a consistent interpretation of the impact of personality on historical events (E) recognizing connections between a government’s political actions and the aspirations of government leaders
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23. The passage supplies information for answering which of the following questions?
(A) What are some specific examples of the use of psychohistory in historical interpretation? (B) When were the conventions governing the practice of traditional history first established? (C) When do traditional historians consider psychological explanations of historical developments appropriate? (D) What sort of historical figure is best suited for psychohistorical analysis? (E) What is the basic criterion of historical evidence required by traditional historians?
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24. The author mentions which of the following as a characteristic of the practice of psychohistorians?
(A) The lives of historical figures are presented in episodic rather than narrative form. (B) Archives used by psychohistorians to gather material are not accessible to other scholars. (C) Past and current events are all placed within the same deterministic schema. (D) Events in the adult life of a historical figure are seen to be more consequential than are those in the childhood of the figure. (E) Analysis is focused on group behavior rather than on particular events in an individual’s life.
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25. The author of the passage suggests that psychohistorians view history primarily as
(A) a report of events, causes, and effects that is generally accepted by historians but which is, for the most part, unverifiable (B) an episodic account that lacks cohesion because records of the role of childhood, work, and leisure in the lives of historical figures are rare (C) an uncharted sea of seemingly unexplainable events that have meaning only when examined as discrete units (D) a record of the way in which a closed set of immutable psychological laws seems to have shaped events (E) a proof of the existence of intricate causal interrelationships between past and present events
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26. The author of the passage puts the word “deepest” in quotation marks most probably in order to
(A) signal her reservations about the accuracy of psychohistorians’ claims for their work (B) draw attention to a contradiction in the psychohistorians’ method (C) emphasize the major difference between the traditional historians’ method and that of psychohistorians (D) disassociate her opinion of the psychohistorians’ claims from her opinion of their method (E) question the usefulness of psychohistorians’ insights into traditional historical scholarship
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27. In presenting her analysis, the author does all of the following EXCEPT:
(A) Make general statement without reference to specific examples. (B) Describe some of the criteria employed by traditional historians. (C) Question the adequacy of the psychohistorians’ interpretation of events. (D) Point out inconsistencies in the psychohistorians’ application of their methods. (E) Contrast the underlying assumptions of psychohistorians with those of traditional historians.
Re: Traditionally, the study of history has had fixed boundaries
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16 Jul 2020, 18:15
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20. Which of the following best states the main point of the passage? (A) The approach of psychohistorians to historical study is currently in vogue even though it lacks the rigor and verifiability of traditional historical method. Correct. Para 5 and end of Para 4 talk about the limitations of their approach. (B) Traditional historians can benefit from studying the techniques and findings of psychohistorians. Author does not mention that traditional historians can benefit. (C) Areas of sociological study such as childhood and work are of little interest to traditional historians. Not supported by the passage (D) The psychological assessment of an individual’s behavior and attitudes is more informative than the details of his or her daily life. No comparison is mentioned in the passage (E) History is composed of unique and nonrepeating events that must be individually analyzed on the basis of publicly verifiable evidence. no such recommendation is made in the passage- Also must is an extreme word
21. It can be inferred from the passage that one way in which traditional history can be distinguished from psychohistory is that traditional history usually (A) views past events as complex and having their own individuality Correct- It denies to the past an integrity and will of its own, in which people acted out of a variety of motives... (B) relies on a single interpretation of human behavior to explain historical events Not supported by the passage (C) interprets historical events in such a way that their specific nature is transcended Not supported by the passage (D) turns to psychological explanations in historical contexts to account for events This is common in both traditional history and psychohistory. (E) relies strictly on data that are concrete and quantifiable Historians have always used such (psychological) explanations when they were appropriate and when there was sufficient evidence for them The passage does not mention that traditional history is focused only on data. It only mentions appropriate and evidence based psychological explanations
22. It can be inferred from the passage that the methods used by psychohistorians probably prevent them from (C) uncovering alternative explanations that might cause them to question their own conclusions correct And it violates the basic tenet of historical method: that historians be alert to the negative instances that would refute their theses
23. The passage supplies information for answering which of the following questions? (A) What are some specific examples of the use of psychohistory in historical interpretation? No such examples have been provided. (B) When were the conventions governing the practice of traditional history first established? No period is mentioned. (C) When do traditional historians consider psychological explanations of historical developments appropriate? Incorrect trap answer. It twists the line in the passage and uses in the answer choice. Historians have always used such explanations when they were appropriate and when there was sufficient evidence for them. (D) What sort of historical figure is best suited for psychohistorical analysis? No information is provided in the passage. (E) What is the basic criterion of historical evidence required by traditional historians? correct It denies the basic criterion of historical evidence: that evidence be publicly accessible to, and therefore assessable by, all historians.
24. The author mentions which of the following as a characteristic of the practice of psychohistorians? (A) The lives of historical figures are presented in episodic rather than narrative form. Not supported by the the passage (B) Archives used by psychohistorians to gather material are not accessible to other scholars. Not supported by the the passage (C) Past and current events are all placed within the same deterministic schema. Correct- it assimilates all events, past and present, into a single deterministic schema that is presumed to be true at all times and in all circumstances. (D) Events in the adult life of a historical figure are seen to be more consequential than are those in the childhood of the figure. No such comparison is mentioned. (E) Analysis is focused on group behavior rather than on particular events in an individual’s life. not supported by the passage.
25. The author of the passage suggests that psychohistorians view history primarily as (A) a report of events, causes, and effects that is generally accepted by historians but which is, for the most part, unverifiable Passage does not mention that their approach is generally accepted by the historians. (B) an episodic account that lacks cohesion because records of the role of childhood, work, and leisure in the lives of historical figures are rare Nothing about role of childhood, work and leisure is mentioned (C) an uncharted sea of seemingly unexplainable events that have meaning only when examined as discrete units Passage does not mention that any event is seemingly unexplainable (D) a record of the way in which a closed set of immutable psychological laws seems to have shaped events Correct- It denies to the past an integrity and will of its own,in which people acted out of a variety of motives and in which events had a multiplicity of causes and effects. It imposes upon the past the same determinism (E) a proof of the existence of intricate causal interrelationships between past and present events no causal relationship between the past and present events is mentioned
26. The author of the passage puts the word “deepest” (line 44) in quotation marks most probably in order to (A) signal her reservations about the accuracy of psychohistorians’ claims for their work Correct- double quotation usually means qualification about something (B) draw attention to a contradiction in the psychohistorians’ method No contradiction is mentioned. (C) emphasize the major difference between the traditional historians’ method and that of psychohistorians This is not the purpose of the quotation marks. (D) disassociate her opinion of the psychohistorians’ claims from her opinion of their method Not supported by the passage. (E) question the usefulness of psychohistorians’ insights into traditional historical scholarship This is not the purpose.
27. In presenting her analysis, the author does all of the following EXCEPT: (A) Make general statement without reference to specific examples. Yes. No specific examples are mentioned in the passage. (B) Describe some of the criteria employed by traditional historians. Yes. It denies the basic criterion of historical evidence: that evidence be publicly accessible to…. (C) Question the adequacy of the psychohistorians’ interpretation of events. Yes. Psychohistorians, convinced of the absolute rightness of their own theories, are also convinced that theirs is the “deepest” explanation of any event (D) Point out inconsistencies in the psychohistorians’ application of their methods. Correct- Author does not mention that phychohistorians applied their methods of interpretation of history inconsistently. Their methods may be incorrect as per the author but passage does not mention these historians were inconsistent in application of methods. (E) Contrast the underlying assumptions of psychohistorians with those of traditional historians Yes- Psychohistory derives its “facts” not from history, the detailed records of events and their consequences, but from psychoanalysis of the individuals who made history, and deduces its theories not from this or that instance in their lives, but from a view of human nature that transcends history.
Schools: Copenhagen Business School - Class of 2022
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Re: Traditionally, the study of history has had fixed boundaries
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23 Apr 2020, 05:30
7/8 14 min Regarding the last question 27th. I sort of feel she points out the inconsistencies of psychohistory with the following part of the text "Psychohistory is not content to violate the discipline of history (in the sense of the proper mode of studying and writing about the past); it also violates the past itself. It denies to the past an integrity and will of its own, in which people acted out of a variety of motives and in which events had a multiplicity of causes and effects"
Schools: Copenhagen Business School - Class of 2022
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Re: Traditionally, the study of history has had fixed boundaries
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23 Apr 2020, 22:57
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Hej,
I am more than aware of it being out of scope, just putting it out there for others to be able to compare. It has been going down gradually, so it is still a process in happening .
Re: Traditionally, the study of history has had fixed boundaries
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04 May 2020, 00:33
For the 21st question, why is E eliminated? It does refer in the passage that traditional historians use concrete facts that are put forth and validated by other historians. Is this because "quantifiable" is not mentioned in the passage? Also what does it mean for data to be quantifiable?
Re: Traditionally, the study of history has had fixed boundaries
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04 May 2020, 12:04
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Expert Reply
This were really out of scale. Dead tough
21. It can be inferred from the passage that one way in which traditional history can be distinguished from psychohistory is that traditional history usually
(A) views past events as complex and having their own individuality
Correct
(B) relies on a single interpretation of human behavior to explain historical events
No mention in the passage of this. Maybe was the easier
(C) interprets historical events in such a way that their specific nature is transcended
No. this pertained to pyschohistory
psychoanalysis of the individuals who made history, and deduces its theories not from this or that instance in their lives, but from a view of human nature that transcends history.
(D) turns to psychological explanations in historical contexts to account for events
Nothing about this. Notice how this is a convoluted phrase that actually says almost nothing
(E) relies strictly on data that are concrete and quantifiable
Where history once was primarily narrative, it is now entirely analytic. That does not mean they are quantifiable, just analytic
22. It can be inferred from the passage that the methods used by psychohistorians probably prevent them from
(A) presenting their material in chronological order
No mention about
(B) producing a one-sided picture of an individual’s personality and motivations
No, pyschohistory gives us a complex scenario that transcends
(C) uncovering alternative explanations that might cause them to question their own conclusions
This is correct from the bottom of the passage
Instead of respecting the particularity of the past, it assimilates all events, past and present, into a single deterministic schema that is presumed to be true at all times and in all circumstances. So, they are prevented to see alternate scenarios
(D) offering a consistent interpretation of the impact of personality on historical events
Not totally true. The personality is used to come to assess facts
(E) recognizing connections between a government’s political actions and the aspirations of government leaders
Re: Traditionally, the study of history has had fixed boundaries
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20 Mar 2021, 15:32
1
Flashinthepan wrote:
Question 27th is super confusing. C or D
27. In presenting her analysis, the author does all of the following EXCEPT:
(A) Make general statement without reference to specific examples. (B) Describe some of the criteria employed by traditional historians. (C) Question the adequacy of the psychohistorians’ interpretation of events. (D) Point out inconsistencies in the psychohistorians’ application of their methods. (E) Contrast the underlying assumptions of psychohistorians with those of traditional historians.
I got this one correct, but did waver between C & D. In order for D to be the right answer, there must be a reason C is wrong and I found this portion may help us eliminate C.
Psychohistory "imposes upon the past the same determinism that it imposes upon the present, thus robbing people and events of their individuality and of their complexity."
Basically the author is saying that psychohistory omitting individuality and complexity of people and events, while believing that these elements should have been part of the history. Therefore, when these elements being robbed from the history, the history is not complete. Because of these missing pieces, psychohistorians' interpretation of events is inadequate
Re: Traditionally, the study of history has had fixed boundaries
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11 Aug 2021, 10:49
I have to admit, I'm a bit confused concerning problem 24. Based on the last paragraph, it seems to me that C would be the obvious correct answer:
Quote:
It imposes upon the past the same determinism that it imposes upon the present, thus robbing people and events of their individuality and of their complexity. Instead of respecting the particularity of the past, it assimilates all events, past and present, into a single deterministic schema that is presumed to be true at all times and in all circumstances.
Carcass, I can see why E has a good deal of validity, but the passage never specifically mentions groups of people vs. individuals, whereas it does essentially directly paraphrase answer choice C:
Quote:
Past and current events are all placed within the same deterministic schema.
goes well together with:
Quote:
it assimilates all events, past and present, into a single deterministic schema
Re: Traditionally, the study of history has had fixed boundaries
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11 Aug 2021, 11:50
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Psychohistory derives its “facts” not from history, the detailed records of events and their consequences, but from psychoanalysis of the individuals who made history, and deduces its theories not from this or that instance in their lives, but from a view of human nature that transcends history.
(E) Analysis is focused on group behavior rather than on particular events in an individual’s life.
(C) Past and current events are all placed within the same deterministic schema.
it assimilates all events, past and present, into a single deterministic schema that is presumed to be true at all times and in all circumstances.
Re: Traditionally, the study of history has had fixed boundaries
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11 Aug 2021, 16:40
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Carcass wrote:
Psychohistory derives its “facts” not from history, the detailed records of events and their consequences, but from psychoanalysis of the individuals who made history, and deduces its theories not from this or that instance in their lives, but from a view of human nature that transcends history.
(E) Analysis is focused on group behavior rather than on particular events in an individual’s life.
(C) Past and current events are all placed within the same deterministic schema.
it assimilates all events, past and present, into a single deterministic schema that is presumed to be true at all times and in all circumstances.
assimilates ≠ all placed, past and current events
Let me know if now is clear
Carcass, thank you! This is very clear. I sometimes forget how vocab-heavy GRE verbal questions really are. Subtle nuances make all the difference.
Re: Traditionally, the study of history has had fixed boundaries
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17 Aug 2021, 14:08
For 24 , I went with B cause of the following line in the rc : " It denies the basic criterion of historical evidence: that evidence be publicly accessible to, and therefore assessable by, all historians."
which matches with "Archives used by psychohistorians to gather material are not accessible to other scholars."
Can you please tell why it is wrong?
gmatclubot
Re: Traditionally, the study of history has had fixed boundaries [#permalink]