ABSTRACT
Within historical studies, the debate concerning narrative constructivism a la Hayden White is too easily read as involving only epistemological issues. A central aim of the constructivist focus on artistic forms of representation has been to bring to history writing forms of representation that might affect readers experientially, in this latter sense of producing an emotional impact. The goal has been to return to historical narratives the significance stripped from them by constructivism's questioning of epistemology and of the authority assumed to come with it. White and narrative constructivism have sometimes been criticized, because the theory offers only formal, but no substantive guidance as to what should be done, in spite of the importance of social responsibility being so forcefully foregrounded. Thus, historical thinking extends from referring to historical research to include all talk about the past, while the focus of all that talk shifts from truthfulness to the consequences of interpretations.
