That Noble Dream: The 'Objectivity Question' and the American Historical Profession

That Noble Dream chronicles the evolution of objectivity as both an ideal and a source of conflict within American historical scholarship from the late 19th century through the late 20th century. The book follows the American historical profession's changing relationship with concepts of truth, neutrality, and the scientific method. Through extensive research and documentation, Novick examines how generations of historians grappled with questions of bias, interpretation, and the possibility of achieving truly objective historical accounts. The work incorporates the perspectives of major historical figures and traces the development of various schools of historical thought. The narrative spans multiple periods of American intellectual life, including the Progressive Era, the World Wars, the Cold War, and the social movements of the 1960s and beyond. Novick documents how external events and societal changes influenced historians' views on their discipline's purpose and methods. This comprehensive intellectual history raises fundamental questions about the nature of historical truth and knowledge itself. The tensions between relativism and objectivity that Novick explores remain relevant to ongoing debates about historical methodology and the role of the historian.

Readers appreciate Novick's comprehensive examination of how American historians have approached objectivity over time. Many highlight the book's detailed research and clear organization of complex philosophical debates. Liked: - Clear explanations of changing historical methods - Documentation of academic politics and conflicts - Useful for understanding historiography's evolution - Strong analysis of postmodernism's impact Disliked: - Dense academic writing style - Length and detail can be overwhelming - Some sections feel repetitive - Focus mainly on elite/academic historians Ratings: Goodreads: 4.1/5 (219 ratings) Amazon: 4.3/5 (28 ratings) Review examples: "Excellent exploration of the profession's philosophical foundations" - Goodreads reviewer "Sometimes tedious but worth pushing through" - Amazon reviewer "Should be required reading for graduate students" - JSTOR review "Novick could have cut 200 pages without losing substance" - History professor on H-Net

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🎓 Peter Novick spent over 10 years researching and writing "That Noble Dream," interviewing hundreds of historians and delving into countless personal papers and archival materials. 📚 The book's title comes from Theodore Clarke Smith's 1908 presidential address to the American Historical Association, where he described historical objectivity as "that noble dream." ⚡ The work sparked intense debate within the historical profession upon its 1988 publication, with some praising its candid examination of objectivity while others criticized it as potentially undermining the field's credibility. 🏆 "That Noble Dream" won the 1990 American Historical Association's Prize in American Historiography, establishing itself as a fundamental text in understanding how American historical writing evolved. 🌍 The book traces how American historians' views on objectivity shifted dramatically through major historical events, from confident Victorian-era beliefs in absolute truth to post-modernist skepticism following the cultural upheavals of the 1960s.