Myth-Historical Tensions

Abstract

Chapter 1 examines the origins of “myth-history” as a narrative category and the purposes for which it is employed. The term myth-history has been used by some physicists to self-consciously distinguish the informal stories they tell from scholarly histories. These scientist-storytellers are not admitting wrongdoing. They are aware of the deficiencies in rigor underlying their myth-histories, yet they reserve the right to filter out historical details for science’s greater good. This chapter sets the context for the rest of the book by establishing scientists’ diverse intents and justifications for writing myth-histories. The discussion is careful not to depict the relationship between myth and history as a polarized conflict. Instead, a more reflective discourse is sought, a common ground to appreciate the power of myth-histories as a distinct mode of storytelling. This framing challenges scientist-storytellers and historians to think critically about the effects of the stories they tell.