The Compact and the Distorted: Science, Narrative and Ideology in Hayden White

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to explore the articulation of certain basic concepts in the Whitean theory of historiographical discourse, based on the conviction that by establishing a contrast with a not too developed notion of science and with a narrow concept of ideology, White ends up resorting to tropology as a deep grammar of the ordinary language instantiated in narrative. By exploring and criticizing some of the blind spots of White’s three-cornered approach to narrative, science and ideology, and some of the consequences of this very restrictive use of tropology, this article intends not only to contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the Whitean proposal, but also to encourage its deepening.