Title
Unmaking the West: 'WhatIf?' Scenarios That Rewrite World History,Used
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What if the Persians had won at Salamis? What if Christ had not been crucified? What if the Chinese had harnessed steam power before the West? Disparaged by some as a mere parlor game, counterfactual history is seen by others as an indispensable historical tool. Taking as their point of inquiry the debate over the inevitability of the rise of the West, the eminent scholars in Unmaking the West argue that there is no escaping counterfactual history. Whenever we make claims of cause and effect, we commit ourselves to the assumption that if key links in the causal chain were broken, history would have unfolded otherwise. Likewise, without counterfactual history we all too easily slip into the habit of hindsight bias, forgetting, as soon as we learn what happened, how unpredictable the world looked beforehand, and closing our minds to all the ways the course might have changed. This collection is thus both an exploration of alternative scenarios to world history and an exercise in testing the strengths and weaknesses of counterfactual experiments.'If ever there was an argument for the usefulness of counterfactual history, this admirable, and admirably focused, collection has convincingly made it.'Robert Cowley, editor of the What If?TM series'With chapters ranging from politics to war to religion to economics and to science and technology, this is the most thematically wideranging collection on counterfactuality. An intelligent, cuttingedge study with important things to say.'Jonathan C. D. Clark, Department of History, University of Kansas'This volume is likely to become a standard reference in the literature on historical methodology, and could have a dramatic impact on the way future generations of historians approach disciplinary inquiry. . . . By allowing readers to share in the doubts and epiphanies that lead up to the authors' epistemological revelations, the volume allows readers to grasp the rich potential of approaching their own research from a counterfactual perspective.'Aaron Belkin, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of California, Santa BarbaraPhilip E. Tetlock is Mitchell Professor, Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley, and author of Expert Political Judgment: How Good Is It? How Can We Know?Richard Ned Lebow is James O. Freedman Presidential Professor of Government at Dartmouth College and author of The Tragic Vision of Politics: Ethics, Interests and Orders, winner of the Alexander L. George Award for the best book in political psychology.Geoffrey Parker is Andreas Dorpalen Professor of History at Ohio State University, a Fellow of the British Academy, and author of The Military Revolution: Military Innovation and the Rise of the West, 15001800, winner of two book prizes.
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- Q: What is the main theme of 'Unmaking the West'? A: The main theme of 'Unmaking the West' revolves around counterfactual history, exploring alternative scenarios that could have altered the course of world history.
- Q: Who are the authors contributing to this book? A: The book features contributions from notable scholars including Philip E. Tetlock, Richard Ned Lebow, and Geoffrey Parker.
- Q: What topics are covered in 'Unmaking the West'? A: The book covers a wide range of topics, including politics, war, religion, economics, and advancements in science and technology.
- Q: How does counterfactual history benefit historical analysis? A: Counterfactual history helps to challenge the inevitability of historical events, allowing historians to consider how different decisions could lead to varied outcomes.
- Q: What is the publication date of 'Unmaking the West'? A: The book was published on October 23, 2006.
- Q: Is 'Unmaking the West' suitable for academic study? A: Yes, 'Unmaking the West' is suitable for academic study and is likely to become a standard reference in historical methodology.
- Q: What format is 'Unmaking the West' available in? A: The book is available in paperback format.
- Q: How many pages does 'Unmaking the West' have? A: The book contains a total of 432 pages.
- Q: What makes this book unique in its field? A: The book's unique approach lies in its thematic breadth and its focus on counterfactuality as a valuable tool for historical inquiry.
- Q: Can this book help in understanding historical biases? A: Yes, 'Unmaking the West' addresses themes like hindsight bias, helping readers understand how perceptions of history can change based on knowledge of outcomes.