Which is the more important attribute of the historians; the ability to analyse evidence scientifically or the ability to develop interpretation of evidence using creative imagination?

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Which is the more important attribute of the historians; the ability to analyse evidence scientifically or the ability to develop interpretation of evidence using creative imagination?

    To answer the question, one has to know what’s his or her definition of history and what does he or she expect history to do and historians to do to history itself. In my opinion, I think that history is the study of what happened in the past (in an abstract way, so only the important events) by analysing and interpreting evidence (i.e. primary such as newspaper of the same day and secondary such as history textbooks). It is, in other words, the interpretation of the facts of those events and process which causes and effects (things which make the events important) are found. Usually, we are focusing on what happened to world of politics, international relations, military conflicts, etc. I believe History only matters if it affects me, so I am more concerned with how history helps me to understand the present (which I live in) and how it teaches me about human behaviour (such as how to interact with people from different cultures which have different history differently). To do that, what really happened (i.e. the facts) is important. As that is the aim, the job of historians to me will be try to find the facts using the evidence given. As history is a very serious subject, scientific method to test it again and again is important while creative imagination can only be an addition. So, in my opinion, the ability to analyse evidence scientifically is more important than the ability to develop interpretation of evidence using creative imagination.

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    Evidence is a key word in the question but what people do with the evidences is even more important. Evidences do not speak for themselves and are only valuable when people use them. Using evidence, people can use scientific method to falsify previously established theses which would require the ability to analyse evidence scientifically, such maybe for example when the anti-Semitism originated from. It was once believed it was at his very young age yet later historians find out evidence about this one girl and through analysing scientifically, they found the girl to be a Jewish called Stephanie ...

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