THE UNDERGRADUATE HISTORY MAJOR THE PURPOSE OF HISTORICAL INQUIRY

The purpose of historical inquiry is not simply to present facts but to search for an    interpretation of the past. Historians attempt to find patterns and establish meaning   through the rigorous study of documents and artifacts left by people of other times   and other places.        The study of history is vital to a liberal arts education. History is unique among   the liberal arts in its emphasis on historical perspective and context. Historians insist   that the past must be understood on its own terms; any historical phenomenon--an   event, an idea, a law, or a dogma for example--must first be understood in its context,   as part of a web of interrelated institutions, values, and beliefs that define a particular   culture and era. Among the liberal arts, history is the discipline most concerned with    understanding change. Historians seek not only to explain historical causality--how   and why change occurs within societies and cultures. They also try to account for the   endurance of tradition, understand the complex interplay between continuity and   change, and explain the origins, evolution, and decline of institutions and ideas.   History is also distinguished by its singularly broad scope. Virtually every subject has   a history and can be analyzed and interpreted in historical perspective and context;   the scope of historical inquiry is bound only by the quantity and quality of surviving   documents and artifacts.        It is commonly acknowledged that an understanding of the past is fundamental to   an understanding of the present. The analysis and interpretation of history provide an   essential context for evaluating contemporary institutions, politics, and cultures.   Understanding the present configuration of society is not the only reason to study the   past; history also provides unique insight into human nature and human civilization.   By demanding that we see the world through the eyes of others, that we develop a   sense of context and coherence while recognizing complexity and ambiguity, and that   we confront the record not only of human achievement but also of human failure,   cruelty, and barbarity, the study of history provides us with a richly-textured,   substantive framework for understanding the human condition and grappling with moral      questions and problems. History is essential to the traditional objectives of the liberal   arts, the quest for wisdom and virtue.        There is another reason to study history: it's fun. History combines the excitement   of exploration and discovery with the sense of reward born of successfully confronting   and making sense of complex and challenging problems.                      Frank Luttmer (1996), Hanover College, Hanover, Indiana

 

THE UNDERGRADUATE HISTORY MAJOR THE HISTORY HONOR SOCIETY

PHI ALPHA THETA    Phi Alpha Theta is the national honor society for history. It was founded in 1921 at the     University of Arkansas and has grown now to include 830 chapters at distinguished     colleges and universities across the country. Its members include upper-division     undergraduates, graduate students, and professors.                        From Georgetown University Department of History

THE MISSION STATEMENT OF PHI ALPHA THETA    We are a professional society whose mission is to promote the study of history through    the encouragement of research, good teaching, publication and the exchange of learning      and ideas among historians. We seek to bring students, teachers and writers of history    together for intellectual and social exchanges, which promote and assist historical    research and publication by our members in a variety of ways.