Monday, March 19, 2012

Historians, Archaeologists, and Scientists

Are historians scientists?  They frame hypotheses about the causes and effects of real events and use empirical evidence to support their accounts.  But they don't do not look for regularities to make into laws; to the contrary, they account for singular events in their uniqueness.  Isn't science about generality?

What about archaeologists?  Are they scientists?  Are they historians?  Both?  Neither?  Why?