This essay is an attempt to sketch a coherent theory on the abuse and irresponsible use of history. Such a general theory, which enables historians to identify, prove, explain and evaluate abuses of history, does not yet exist. The essay opens with a discussion of the demarcation problem, that is the problem of how to distinguish irresponsible and abusive history on the one hand from nonscientific, incompetent, meaningless, harmful, and dangerous history on the other. It then proceeds to define the abuse of history as its use with intent to deceive and the broader concept of the irresponsible use of history as either its deceptive or negligent use. Finally, the various ramifications of the theory are developed, from a typology of abuses and irresponsible uses, over questions of evidence, explanation and evaluation to measures of prevention.
abusive history; demarcation problem; irresponsible history; responsible history
