Qualms of Academia: Zinn's Doctrine vs. Scholarly Orthodoxy

Howard Zinn has become one of the most well-known historians by providing an alternative perspective to the teaching of American History that has received both outstanding praise and great criticism. Zinn’s work not only provides an altering perspective throughout various historical narratives, but it also provides an alternative to the restrictive philosophies of academic orthodoxy that persist in the university and in everyday life. This paper discusses Zinn’s Historiography, philosophy, and ethics in light of criticisms of other Historians as well as the aforementioned expectations of academia to be “neutral” or “objective” in the teaching of History. This paper demonstrates the nuances of Zinn's philosophy and perspective on what it really means to not just be a productive historian but to be a productive member in any profession and within society as a whole.