expression and generalization in history and anthropology 1

Abstract

An examination of certain aspects of historical and anthropological practice reveals (1) that rhetorical, or aesthetic, judgments inhere in the use of narrative, (2) that evocative, rather than merely denotative, language contributes to objective knowledge of events in another culture, and (3) that patterns, not laws, are the best means by which to generalize about unique sequences of events. A strict scientistic approach is not necessary for an historical and anthropological knowledge of social processes.