The highest level of professionalism in any sphere incorporates the ability to remain morally detached from the subject one is investigating or interpreting. No matter how a researcher feels about some issue, it is necessary to reflect only the objective information and not give way to one’s subjective feelings or emotions. When explaining and describing the past, it is crucial to find a balance between one’s worldview and historical detachment, as well as focus on the topic of research. As for me, such stability is best gained through understanding the purpose of research clearly. Also, one should realize that one’s audience does not want judgment but requires a thoroughly developed argument and its resolution based on facts and academic research.
I would suggest the following guidelines for combining one’s moral sense of justice with historical detachment when writing about the past:
- One should not use emphatic words or subjective remarks in writing. When discussing a morally “dark” act from the past, this piece of advice would help me to avoid sounding overly subjective and biased. For instance, when giving an account of how many Jews were killed during World War II, I would rather use the word “exterminated” than write “brutally/cruelly wiped out.” Even though “wiping out” seems to be the most accurate word, a researcher must not allow personal feelings to interfere with the reflection of data.
- A researcher should make sure to reflect both sides of the argument rather than focus on one of them. For example, when writing about the Civil War in the USA, I would refrain from only mentioning that the South was strongly opposed to the abolition of slavery. Instead, I would also mention that the North had interests in the South’s resources. That way, it would be clear to the audience that there was more to the causes of the war than only slavery.
- If possible, one should not engage with topics that affect one’s moral views, especially strongly. Or, if it is unavoidable, one should make use of as much statistical data as possible to represent the actual state of affairs in the given historical period. For instance, if I felt that I had some sentimental feelings toward one side of the historical debate, I would make sure to exploit much evidence to indicate that my point of view was not prejudiced.
In general, I believe that the process of explaining and describing the past should be performed with as much precision and objectivity as any other fact. It is of utmost importance for researchers to have well-developed analytical skills. However, no less significant is the ability to interpret the analysis correctly. If one’s moral senses interfere with the ability to reflect historical data accurately, one should not engage in such research in the first place.