Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1896-01-22
UNIVERSITY LECTURE COURSE.
Professor whitley Speaks GU the Prln.
elples of Historic Criticism aud
Interpretation.

Professor whitley wa, the speaker
In the University lecture courto lat
evening. HIs subject was the Phnoi.
plies Of Historic Criticism and Inter.
probation. In substance lie spoke ~
fUllowt:
There IL probably no fold OF human
thought that has come In for n larger
share OF modern criticism than that Of
history. II ID one Of the earliest studius
that has engaged tue attention Of man.
kiad aud can boast Of ~ long line Of
scholarly men from. Herodotus to
Bancroft, and from Tacllus TO Ma.
caulay. Geography AMI ohrono logy
are tue eyes OF history, ami what go5-
Rraphy 10 to space history Is to time.
itmay be stated Rs approximately tTae
that tho historic period covers about
four thousand year -ilarling with the
Hebrew time aud allowing a reason.
Hble calculation ior the time aud work
Of tue AfyAns.
a well known division OF the most
generally recogniZBd flolis OF historic
research Ia that OF the Hebrew, Crock
anu Roman. With respect to these We
are on solid historic ground.
The scientific spirit Of tNAclneaB OF
research, which 20 distlnotively
characterizea the nineteenth century,
has greatly modified anu changed the
study Of history. Moder2 iuvestiga.
ton calls loudly for oxaclnefs OF data.
rnsru must bo solidity Of laul; there
must be realism OF nature; all lhinys,
history included, must be- subjected 90
tue saverrst analysis, The winnOwlng
Ian has blown nnd blown, and con.
tinues 10 blow, separating toe ohafi
from the wheat; aud 40 toltheltss hes
the criticism been, that nOthipR " sup.
p0isd 20 remain that cannot show the
beat OF reasons Tor i.s cJnIinuance-lhs
reality OF fact.
Religion, art, literature, social aud
political instltutlonn, none have been
too time-hOnofsd, nor too sacred 10
escape the pruning kniie. II istory has
had Ito full share OF this keen
treatment; ~ much NJ inieed that
there has resulted degree OF skepti.
elsm In some branches that has serious.
ly disturbed the relations Of the
old anu new nf tho wotlI's record u
ils mind life. Beginning with tho
history OF the globe Itself as mans
habitsiiou, tho io,entisis have pushed
back the lhtOlogianh further aud lur.
ther from period u 6,O0O TO ,he PROB
able distance OF 200 millions Of year,.
The aIcbp jlogisis have uocessitAtOI
the autcuallng VI many OF the gTest
cities and clvilizatll OF the last.
Many OF tho historic personAgus
known to antiquity, many OF the men
OF the past wac nave diguitsi AMI
f.dssmed humanity ny the songs tnay
have sung and this deed5 tEey have
wrought, now have aiheir names
whispered with Interrogation. Were
tho matchlesH sOngs OF the HAD sung
by a living Homer? Were the moral
subllmlties Of ths PsniA oueh written
by Moses? or the dramatic grandeur OF
shakespeare's plays written by Shake
speRrtr
Whatever OF common eKiremeneAs
there IL IN this sO-called "highsr oTitl-
oism - will Tectify itselL IL IL un.
auestioDably right that we should re.
yst,e the judgments Of our f0refAtheTs
when those Judgments are found TO
have no basis In facts; aud after all
this kind Of reversal has not been con-
fined 10 history. Many positions anu
interpretations In science herself have
had TO DO relinquished.
1t may briefly be- stated that modern
criticism ia all matters OF historic re-
svaroh aims TO get at tho certainty o
fAots-at u rational Interpretation Of
events--atA fair measurement Of tho
motive forces OF the WORLDS great
actors. II takes into account the d.
verslties OF types and gives careful
confederation to the formative agencies
of environment.