Beyond the Ars Historica

Abstract

Abstract This chapter addresses how the ars historica lived on and was transformed in a different institutional setting in the Dutch Republic: that of learned societies. Because the activities of Dutch learned societies after 1750 coincided with the public debate on Dutch decline, most members aspired to gather ‘useful’ knowledge that could improve Dutch society. The chapter then analyses the academic prize contests on history of Teyler’s Second Society from 1780 and 1785, placing these entries about historical Pyrrhonism within earlier and broader European debates about historical scepticism and the status of history as a science. It discusses why the authors of the winning entries were optimistic about the possibilities of gaining sound historical knowledge. The chapter also argues that the members of Teyler’s Second Society built upon this optimistic outlook in their subsequent prize contests on history and explains why the content of their prize contests and the assessment of the entries were driven by a strong preference for ‘philosophical’ historiography. Finally, it reflects on the relevance of studying learned societies and academic prize competitions to better understand the development of Dutch and European historical thought in its diverse institutional settings.