Marc Ereshefsky (University of Calgary), Derek Turner (Connecticut College)
John Beatty and Eric Desjardins offer a rich account of historicity and historical narrative. Here we identify four concerns with their account. We then offer an alternative account of historical narrative that draws on the work of earlier philosophers (Gallie, Danto, and Hull). In particular, we highlight three features of narrative explanation that Beatty and Desjardins underemphasize: central subjects, historical trajectories, and the idea that historical narratives are only known retrospectively.
