摘要：The German historian Leopold von Ranke (1795-1886) was one of the most influential historians of the nineteenth century. He made important contributions to the emergence of modern history as a discipline and he has been described by historians such as Alan Munslow and John Warren as the father of 'scientific' history. He was responsible for the methodical principles of archival research and source criticism becoming commonplace in academic institutions and he is generally credited with the professionalisation of the historian's craft.
This article will discuss Ranke and his historical method. It will give a brief biography of Ranke and his methodology, before discussing how he has been viewed historically, and then assessing whether this view of his historical method is correct. I will investigate Ranke's perception of, and methods of using, source evidence ranging from primary to secondary to oral material. Using this evidence, I will ask how did Ranke depict and compose history? In addition to these questions I will consider critics of Ranke's methods and include my own experiences of working on Ranke for my PhD thesis. I want to investigate what can we learn today from Ranke's methods and how far should one include one's own perceptions and biases in today's historical writing.
