easy · Enhanced ACT reading
Analyze the following micro-passage regarding Historiography: Historian A: We must view historical figures through the lens of their own era. To judge a nineteenth-century leader by twenty-first-century moral standards is 'presentism,' an analytical error that obscures true historical understanding.
Historian B: While context is vital, universal human rights are not subject to the calendar. If a leader's actions caused systemic suffering, the historian's duty is to name that injustice, regardless of whether it was socially acceptable at the time.
Which statement best summarizes Historian B's likely response to the 'presentism' argument?
- Historian B would suggest that nineteenth-century leaders were actually more moral than modern leaders give them credit for.
- Historian B would agree that judging historical figures is an error that leads to a shallow understanding of the past.
- Historian B would insist that Historian A is ignoring the specific legislative context that governed nineteenth-century behavior.
- Historian B would argue that some moral truths are timeless and should override the historical context of a figure's actions.
Sign up free to see the explanation and track your rank →
More Enhanced ACT reading practice
- What is the main idea of the paragraph?
- Which of the following is the central point of the paragraph?
- Which choice best summarizes the main idea of the passage?
- What date was written on the map?
- what time did Elias check his watch?
- The passage indicates that the economist responds to her critics primarily by:
- The passage most strongly suggests that the keeper's true motivation for his long service
- The author includes the examples of opening jars and carrying coconut shells primarily in