History and narrative

Hayden White, Frank Ankersmit, and issues in historiography

Abstract

This article investigates several aspects of the Narrative Philosophy of History – narrativism – and how it has influenced theoretical perceptions of History as a discipline. Through an analysis of the works of authors such as Hayden White and Frank Ankersmit, the study seeks to understand how plot, representation, and subjectivity influence historical writing. The objective is to demonstrate that History is not merely a scientific reconstruction of the past, but rather a cultural and social construct, shaped by narrative choices as well. The methodology employed consists of a critical analysis of some narrativist theories, based on a literature review of classic works on the subject. The research results highlight the importance of narrativism for understanding the nature of historical knowledge and challenge the notion of an objective and neutral history.