PHILOSOPHY OF HISTORY

To the Editors of the CRIMSON:

Members of the history department have been discussing at great length the problem of who shall be required to take history tutorial in the future. Unfortunately, they have not given the same careful consideration to the problem of subject matter covered by the two year tutorial program.

As I understand it, tutorial in history was originally set up to make college students aware of the problems in historical research. It has become, instead, a rather detailed study in the philosophy of history, apparently, with the wholehearted approval of the department. If this is to be its purpose, certainly we are all going about it in a rather silly fashion. Professor M. G. White teaches a very fine course, Phil 186, which appears to cover in one term what we now, as history majors, spread over a two year period. Moreover, our tutors, qualified as they undoubtedly are in their own fields, are not expert in problems of philosophy. Some have audited conscientiously Mr. White's course; most have not had the time, and, as a result, do not seem to grasp several of the many subtleties involved in this field.

I think that history concentrators should be required to take Mr. White's course, or an equivalent course, taught by a professor in the history department, for half a term. Tutorial time then could be devoted to more intensive investigation in the student's special field, this under a tutor who also has specailized in that field. Daniel M. Musher '59