`Author:` [[Arthur Danto]] `Availability:` [[Suggestions]] > [!info] > ## Key Takeaways ## Summary **_Narration and Knowledge_** by Arthur Danto is a significant work that explores the nature of historical knowledge and the role of narrative in shaping our understanding of the past. Below are some key points made in the book: 1. **Narrative Sentences**: One of Danto’s most influential concepts is the idea of “narrative sentences.” These are statements that describe past events but can only be fully understood in light of future developments. For example, a sentence like “World War I started the decline of European colonial empires” requires knowledge of events that took place after the war to make sense. Danto argues that history is fundamentally shaped by such narrative structures. 2. **The Role of Historians**: Danto emphasizes that historians do more than simply report events—they interpret them. Historians construct narratives that connect facts and give meaning to events. This involves both description and explanation, making history a creative process of sense-making rather than mere documentation. 3. **History and Science**: A significant theme in _Narration and Knowledge_ is the distinction between history and science. Danto challenges the idea that history can be a purely objective or scientific discipline. While scientific knowledge is often concerned with discovering universal laws, history deals with particular events and narratives that are shaped by human experiences, contingencies, and interpretations. 4. **The Logic of Historical Explanation**: Danto delves into the logic behind how historians explain historical events. He argues that historical explanation often involves retroactive understanding—where the significance of an event becomes clear only in hindsight. This retroactivity makes historical knowledge fundamentally different from scientific knowledge. 5. **Philosophy of History**: Danto’s work is also a contribution to the philosophy of history. He grapples with questions such as: What does it mean to understand the past? How is history different from memory or mythology? He argues that history, as a discipline, aims to provide coherent narratives that explain the unfolding of events over time, based on evidence, but it remains interpretive in nature. 6. **Critique of Positivism**: Danto critiques positivist approaches to history, which aim to present historical facts in a detached, objective manner. He points out that history, unlike natural sciences, cannot avoid the narrative form, because it deals with human actions that are inherently purposeful and interpreted through meaning. 7. **Narrative and Temporality**: Danto explores how narrative structures affect our perception of time. He argues that the act of narrating historical events organizes them into a coherent temporal sequence, giving shape to the past. This organization of time through narrative is essential to how we comprehend history. In _Narration and Knowledge_, Danto combines philosophy, history, and narrative theory to offer a profound reflection on how we come to know and understand the past, highlighting the constructed nature of historical narratives. ## Quotes - ## Notes `Concepts:` [[Art]] `Knowledge Base:` [[History]] [[Books index]]