The Historical Value of Myths

It has been the contention of historically minded philosophers that manifestations of the human spirit, such as myths, can be used as historical evidence and can yield historical knowledge. History is taken to imply knowledge, has an innate epistemological character and can provide insights on the workings of the human mind. In this important study, John Karabelas analyses the links and vicissitudes of the connections between history and mythology by focusing on the work of Giambattista Vico and R. G. Collingwood and the methodological frameworks they put forward for the effective study of myths as historical evidence.