Historians’ Responsibilities: A Matter of Resonance?

Abstract How can philosophers of history contribute to the debate on what historians’ responsibilities entail, without falling into the trap of telling historians what to do? This article identifies four ways in which philosophers of history might engage with historians’ own sense of responsibility: (1) asking for clarification, (2) pointing out inconsistencies, (3) drawing attention to alternatives, and (4) offering conceptual tools for understanding what responsibilities are, or how historians come to accept them. To illustrate the last of these four points, the article discusses Hartmut Rosa’s concept of resonance. While the concept may capture something important about how historians adjust their sense of responsibility in light of transformative experiences (“trigger events”), some of its assumptions are open to debate. Philosophers of history may therefore want to further develop the concept, thereby contributing to a better understanding of the grounds on which responsibilities are accepted or rejected.