Overview
In recent years, counterfactual-conditional history as a mode of historical thought has experienced an increased amount of attention. Professional historians, some of whose works we’ll read, long steered clear of what-ifs. But over the last few decades, some of them have warmed to the genre, and some have tried their hands at it. Why that’s so isn’t clear. Some put a political face on the development; others attribute it to historians’ efforts to popularize history beyond the classroom. The cause may also lie in the gradual seeping into historians’ consciousness that logicians have for some time been inquiring into the nature of historical thought, a topic that historians themselves are not given to paying much attention to. So we’ll be considering logicians’ as well as historians’ role in all this.
Counterfactual history raises some important questions. First, is it useful or even permissible to ask what would have happened in the past if a) something that we know didn’t occur were inserted into the course of events as if it had in fact taken place and we then imagined what difference its insertion might have made to the outcome or b) if something that we know did occur were removed from the record so that we could imagine what difference its removal might have made to the outcome? Second, if it’s permissible and useful to do either or both of these, what’s the most responsible, effective, and acceptable way to pursue such questions in respect to specific issues? And third, what, if any, are the gains to historical understanding of doing so?
This course will examine these questions via written examples of counterfactual history, critiques and defenses of its use and practice, and consideration of the philosophical realities behind it. Fortunately, given the nature of the subject, debates about it, and examples of the subject, this course, more than most, ought to be fun as well as instructive. That’s because non-academic writers of history and humorists as well as academic historians have tried their hands at the business, some with intentional, others with inadvertent, comic effect. Even failed experiments in counterfactual history happen to have serious implications. Moreover, given the era in which we live, what-ifs have gathered to themselves ideological connotations and political inflections. We’ll dig into all of this—with as straight a face as possible.
COURSE FORMAT
This is an interactive online seminar course that meets weekly over 6 weeks. Live online sessions will use the zoom platform. Weekly reading or other forms of materials may be assigned. Weekly sessions will be recorded and available for registered participants to access throughout the course.
There are no papers or grades. This course does not offer any credits or certificates. This course is intended for learning for the love of learning.
COURSE MATERIALS
This course requires participants to purchase/rent reading materials.
Registrants will receive access to the course website and the zoom links about two weeks before the course starts.
COURSE CANCELLATION POLICY
Registrants can cancel and receive a full refund up to September 22. After September 22, there will be no refunds issued.
Yale Alumni College courses are subject to schedule changes as well as cancellations. If Yale Alumni College must cancel any course prior to its start due to low enrollment, you will be notified of this by the cancellation date. Upon cancellation of a course, registrants may transfer their registration to another available course or have the registration fee fully refunded.
In the event of a disruption to the original course schedule, including but not limited to; Professor absence, hazardous weather conditions, or local travel restrictions, Yale Alumni College will do its best to reschedule the missed class for the week immediately following the original end date at the same course time and day.