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Explaining History. Hippolyte Taine’s Philosophy of Historical Science

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Historical Perspectives on Erklären and Verstehen

Part of the book series: Archimedes ((ARIM,volume 21))

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Abstract

Historians of European historiography have often characterized Hippolyte Taine (1828-1893) as an adherent of the positivist school of thought, typical for the development of a scientific culture in Western Europe that differed from its German counterpart.1 In accordance with that view, Wilhelm Dilthey grouped him together with other scholars like John Stuart Mill and Herbert Spencer against who Dilthey tried to develop his conception of the human sciences based on the notion of “verstehen” (see Dilthey [1924] 1957, 139ff.). Dilthey understood Taine as proposing to analyze the human mind by identifying its individual components and then explaining their meaning by laws of their relation. He argued that such an approach might be adequate for the natural sciences, but neglected the fact that an analysis of the mind had to start from a given psychological connection that was prior to any definition of particular phenomena. From Dilthey’s point of view, applying Taine’s theory to historical studies only made them look more objective while actually Taine was unaware of just following the prevailing convictions of his time (idem, 191f.).

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Notes

  1. 1.

    See among others von Srbik (1951, 222f.), Breisach (1983, 275f.). Against this view, see Charlton (1959, 106f.).

  2. 2.

    On Dilthey’s conception of aesthetics as a model for the ‘Geisteswissenschaften,’ see Makkreel (1991, 117f.).

  3. 3.

    Renan had written ‘L’avenir de la science’ in 1848. It was only to be published in 1890. See Renan ([1890]1995), préface.

  4. 4.

    Besides dominating the most important commissions that decided about the admission of candidates to universities and academic degrees Cousin developed a syllabus that was mandatory for the school teaching of philosophy. See Brooks (1998, 36ff.).

  5. 5.

    Accordingly, he explained the origins of Christianity by a state of mind that was formed by the world of the ancients: “C’est le mouvement intérieur de ces fortes natures qui a préparé le coup de tonnerre; mais le coup de tonnerre a été déterminé par une cause extérieure. Tous ces phénomènes se rapportent, du reste, à un état moral qui n’est plus le nôtre” (Renan [1863]1949, 29).

  6. 6.

    Because of persistent efforts of the catholic church (and Cousin) who accused him of having undermined the Christian faith when giving his inaugural lecture Renan was suspended as a professor at the Collège de France in 1862. Sainte-Beuve protested unsuccessfully against the Imperial decree in the senate. See Gaigalas (1972, 34f.).

  7. 7.

    According to Taine, Sainte-Beuve and Renan had proved how the understanding of the actions of historical individuals and groups could benefit from psychological studies. See Taine ([1864]1878, 21). In his ‘Histoire de la littérature anglaise’ Taine characterized the renewal of methods within the moral sciences as Sainte-Beuve’s merit. “Personne ne l’a fait plus juste et aussi grand que Sainte-Beuve; à cet égard nous sommes tous ses éléves; sa méthode renouvelle aujourd’hui dans les livres et jusque dans les journaux toute la critique littéraire, philosophique et religieuse” (Taine 1863, XIV). In a similar fashion Taine called Sainte-Beuve his intellectual mentor in their correspondence. “Si je fais de la physiologie morale, c’est grâce à vous.” Taine, To Sainte-Beuve June 15th 1867, in Taine (1904, 339).

  8. 8.

    See especially Taine’s exposition of his research procedures in Taine (1866, I-XXVII).

  9. 9.

    In another review Sainte-Beuve expresses their mutual agreement on the idea of a natural method of literature and the human mind: “Nous tous, partisans de la méthode naturelle en littérature [...], nous tous, artisans et serviteurs d’une même science que nous cherchons à rendre aussi exacte que possible, sans nous payer de notions vagues et de vains mots, continuons donc d’oberserver sans relâche, d’étudier et de pénétrer les conditions des œuvres diversement remarquables [...]” (Sainte-Beuve [1864]1867, 87f.).

  10. 10.

    Taine criticized Renan’s efforts to reproduce the outlook of the ancients without relying on source material because thereby he would replace the legends of the Bible with a speculative hypothesis created through literary means. “En vain Berthelot et moi nous lui disons c’est mettre un roman à la place de la légende; qu’il gâte les parties certaines par un mélange d’hypothèses” (Taine 1904, 245).

  11. 11.

    Taine described Renan’s reaction to his suggestions: “Il [Renan] n’entend rien, ne voit que son idée, dit que nous ne sommes pas artistes, qu’un traité simplement et dogmatique ne rendrait pas la vie” (Taine 1904, 245).

  12. 12.

    The relation between the historical state of mind and its specific context as it was disclosed by the historical account should help the reader to change his point of view and look at the carnal scences of early modern painting with different eyes. “Avec de la réflexion, des lectures et de l’habitude, on réussit par degrés à reproduire en soi-même des sentiments auxquels d’abord on était étranger; nous voyons qu’un autre homme, dans un autre temps, a dû sentir autrement que nous-mêmes” (Taine [1866]1965, vol. 1, 17).

  13. 13.

    “L’histoire n’est pas une science analogue à la géométrie, mais à la physiologie et à la géologie.” Taine, To Ernest Havet April 19th 1864, in Taine (1904, 229).

  14. 14.

    Similarly - according to Taine - the explanatory categories of the natural sciences were relative to the detected elements from which the general cause of their appearance was deduced. “La grandeur est toujours relative; rien n’empêche que nos molécules différentes, aussi petites par rapport à elles qu’elle le sont elles-même par rapport à une planète, et ainsi de suite, sans trêve ni fin.” (Taine [1870]1878, vol. 2, 429) “De même qu’il y a des rapports fixes mais non mesurables quantitativement, entre les organes et les fonctions d’un corps vivant, de même il y a des rapports précis, mais non susceptibles d’évaluation numérique entre les groupes des faits qui composent la vie sociale et morale.” Taine, To Ernest Havet April 19th 1864, in Taine (1904, 299f.).

  15. 15.

    It is therefore unnecessary to rehearse the discussions around the view - most often attributed to Hayden White’s ‘Metahistory’ - that historical writing cannot amount to more than verbal fictions. See Müller (2008, 16-29).

  16. 16.

    See for the relation between Taine and Flaubert (Donatelli 2001, 75-87); for Taine and Stendhal see among others Seys (2000, 13-31).

  17. 17.

    “Ces mœurs étaient la température vivifiante qui de toutes parts faisait germer et fleurir la grande peinture” (Taine [1866] 1965, vol. 1, 194).

  18. 18.

    “Il y a un germe dont le reste n’est que le développement, c’est le beau corps bien portant, solidement et simplement peint dans une attitude qui manifeste la force et la perfection de sa structure; c’est cela seul qu’il faut chercher; les autres parties de l’art sont subordonnées” (Taine [1866] 1965, vol. 1, 168).

  19. 19.

    After his last volume was published Taine pointed out repeatedly that figural thinking was in his eyes the founding mental structure of the Renaissance: “[J]e me persuade de plus en plus, chez le sculpteur et le peintre de la Renaissance, le moule de la pensée était autre que chez nous. Ils pensaient par des formes colorées et nous par des mots abstraits.” Taine, “To Paul Saint-Victor”, in (Taine 1904, 334).

  20. 20.

    For contradictions within Taine’s aesthetics see Gerhardi (1989, 50-53).

  21. 21.

    “Prends ceci comme un Journal [...] de plus tout personnel. [...] Ce que chacun sent lui est propre et particulier comme sa nature; ce que j’éprouverai dépendra de ce que je suis” (Taine [1866] 1965, vol. 1, 4).

  22. 22.

    After explaining his intellectual preferences and procedures as the decisive influences on his way of understanding Taine wrote: “C’est cet instrument que j’emporte aujourd’hui en Italie; voilà la couleur de ses verres; tiens compte de cette teinte dans les descriptions qu’il produira” (Taine [1866]1965, vol. 1, 17).

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  1. Institut für Geschichtswissenschaften, Unter den Linden 6, 10099, Berlin, Germany

    Philipp Müller

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  1. Inst. Philosophie, Wissenschaftstheorie,, TU Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 135, Berlin, 10623, Germany

    Uljana Feest

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Müller, P. (2010). Explaining History. Hippolyte Taine’s Philosophy of Historical Science. In: Feest, U. (eds) Historical Perspectives on Erklären and Verstehen. Archimedes, vol 21. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-3540-0_5

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