The historian's craft and economics

Abstract

Abstract. History refers both to the past and to the systematic study of the past. Attempts to make a case for history in economics generally emphasize the first definition. There are benefits from increased attention to the past. This paper argues that significant benefits can be gained from increased attention to the systematic study of the past, the historian's craft. The essence of the historian's craft is the critical evaluation of sources. Failure to critically evaluate sources has the potential to lead to erroneous conclusions, whether one is using historical documents or more recently created data.

How can research on past urban adaptations be made useful for sustainability science?

“…Historians Joris Roosen and Daniel Curtis, for example, show how historical data on past plagues has been misused and misinterpreted by some scholars: ‘When scholars fail to apply source criticism or do not reflect on the content of the data they use, the reliability of their results becomes highly questionable’ (Roosen & Curtis, 2018, p. 103). Hansen and Hansen (2016) provide several examples from the field of economic history. My colleagues and I have made a parallel point in discussing the need for rigorous archaeological research if it is to be of use for questions of urban sustainability (Smith et al, 2021).…”