Approval Quote by J. H. Plumb
“Whether we like it or not, quantification in history is here to stay for reasons which the quantifiers themselves might not actively approve. We are becoming a numerate society: almost instinctively there seems now to be a greater degree of truth in evidence expressed numerically than in any literary evidence, no matter how shaky the statistical evidence, or acute the observing eye.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Role of Quantification in Historical Narrative, 1975
Quantification dominates modern historical analysis, often being trusted more than narrative evidence, even when statistical methods are imperfect.
In simple terms: Numbers are trusted over stories in history.
Key Takeaway
Question data, but also scrutinize its limits.
Themes
history
statistics
truth
trust
methodology
Mood
critical
analytical
skeptical
Type
observational
analytical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- Academic research
- policy making
- media reporting
- education
- public discourse
Key Concepts
Epistemology
data bias
interpretive frameworks
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we balance quantitative and qualitative evidence?
- When might numbers obscure truth?
A Different Perspective
Statistical data can be misleading if context is ignored.
