"document retrieval efficiency historical context" 
### Query ###
"document retrieval efficiency historical context" 

### Source ###
**PHIL-2023-001 **
Philosophy should be the last to complain of this,
seeing that the discovery of these new methods was
mainly due to that science. Did not Bacon recom-
mend the experimental method? Did not Galileo
declare that his chief help in discovering it was derived
from his studies in philosophy? To the same cause
and in a far greater degree is likewise due the dis-
covery of the historical method. Nevertheless, the
philosophers were the fiercest opponents of the experi-
mental method, even as they are now the worst foes
of the historical method. It really appears as though
they cannot be reconciled to the fact that, as a result
of their most successful labours, another consider-
able province of their ancient realm is now slipping
from their grasp. For all the present discord and con-
flict is born of the fact that the philosophers claim the
exclusive right of continuing to deal in their own way
with the very problems which only by the use of the


84 IS HISTORY A SCIENCE?


historic method have been put on the right road
towards the discovery of an efficient solution. Pro-
fessor Sidgwick, however, goes on to say: ‘Let us
now see the nature of the progress that the historical
method is presumed to have made in the study of
society and the human mind. Undoubtedly it has
largely contributed to ‘the increased recognition of the
fundamental importance of the ‘‘social factor” in the
development of the mind of the individual.’ But this
had been already recognised by J. S. Mill, from
whose work, a generation ago, we all learnt our ‘ Logic
of the Moral Sciences.’ ”

This is quite true. But how did Mill arrive at the
solution of a problem from which so many others
depend? Precisely by his adherence to the historical
method, and, as he tells us himself, by expounding the
ideas of Auguste Comte, whose philosophy is entirely
based on that method. If by this means, as even
Sidgwick has confessed, we are enabled to explain the
historic formation—although not the inner essence—of
the mind, this is certainly no inconsiderable result, and
the metaphysicians, who had never achieved as much
by their own system, have now no right to feel injured
because the desired goal has been reached by a differ-
ent road from theirs. 

**Clausewitz_HistoricalExamples_Book2_Ch6 **
Book Two, Chapter Six: In this concluding chapter of Book Two,
Clausewitz develops a [Mint made negatively in the previous chapter,
where he says one of the three cardinal errors common to critics is their
misuse of historical examples. Here he proposes to demonstrate their
correct use,

“The knowledge which is basic to the ait of war,” he says, “is empiri¬
cal.” Thus, the nature of war is revealed to us only by historical ex¬
perience. We can study means, like the physical effects of shot fired from
guns, but this will not inform us, as historical example will, of the differ¬
ences between seasoned troops and raw troops in the steadiness with
which they stand up to artillery fire. To be sure, we do not always have
a sufficient range of experience to inform us sufficiently about all the
things we should like to know. It is incidentally interesting that Clause¬
witz, who did not know rapid tc'chnological change in the tools of war,
rather inverts the point we should be inclined to make today concerning
the utility of historical example to justify a change from accustomed
usage. Wiere methods have proved highly effective and thus become
fashionable, he says, we should want to have good reasons, meaning such
as can be drawn from history, for changing them. Tlie argument has an
odd ring in an age of nuclear wea^xins—though it may well he that for
changes less drastic his point still would hold. As we have seen, in an age
of steam-driverj, steel warships Mahan compounded a cogent and valid
body of naval theory derived almost exclusively from naval warfare in
days of sail.
Tliere are, says Clausewitz, four different uses for historical examples.


**ENG-1678-KING-EXECUTION-001 **
that a little before the Kmg's execution» he was.
in I^eton's chamber, where Harrison was also pre-
sent, together with Cromwell, Hacker, Phayer».
and Axtell. The warrant was produced and
read by Hacker, during which Oliver addressed
himself to Hunks, and desired him, in virtueof
that document, to draw up an order for the exo«
ecutìon. ^< I refused i and upon refùsing of it»
there happened some cro^s passages. Cromwell.
would bave no delay. There was a little table
that stood by the door, and pen» ink, and paper.
being Uiere, Cromwell stooped and writ ; I con-
ceived he wrote that which he wonld have hsA
me to write : as soon ag he had done writìng,
he gave the pen over to Hacker*. He stoopa
^own and did write; I cannot say what he writ;..


**HIST-2023-001 **
The  extreme  typical  instance  is  afforded  by  the  socialistic
school,  which  took  the  romantic  form  in  the  person  of
its  chief  representative,  Marx,  who  endowed  it  with
historiographical  and  scientific  value.  His  work  was
in  complete  opposition  to  the  socialistic  ideals  that  had
appeared  in  the  eighteenth  century,  and  he  therefore
boasted  that  they  had  passed  from  the  state  of  being
a  Utopia  to  that  of  a  science.  His  science  was  nothing
less  than  historical  necessity  attributed  to  the  new  era
that  he  prophesied,  and  materialism  itself  no  longer
wished  to  be  the  naturalistic  materialism  of  a  d'Holbach
or  a  Helvétius,  but  presented  itself  as  *  historical
materialism/

If  nostalgic  historiography  is  poetry  and  that  with
a  purpose  is  practical  and  political,  the  historiography,
the  true  historiography,  of  romanticism  is  not  to  be
placed  in  either  of  the  two,  in  so  far  as  it  is  considered
an  epoch  in  the  history  of  thought.  Certainly,  poetry
and  practice  arose  from  a  thought  and  led  to  a  thought
as  its  material  or  problem  :  the  French  Revolution
was  certainly  not  the  cause  or  the  effect  of  a  philosophy,
but  both  the  cause  and  the  effect,  a  philosophy  in  the
act,  born  from  and  generating  the  life  that  was  then
developed.  But  thought  in  the  form  of  thought,  and
not  in  the  form  of  sentimental  love  of  the  past  or  effort
to  revive  a  false  past,  is  what  determines  the  scientific
character  of  that  historiography,  which  we  desire  to
set  in  a  clear  light.  And  it  reacted  in  the  form
of  thought  against  the  thought  of  the  enlightenment.
268       HISTORY  OF  HISTORIOGRAPHY

so  crudely  dualistic,  by  opposing  to  it  the  conception
of  development.

### Analysis ###
The user's query pertains to the efficiency of document retrieval in historical contexts. This encompasses how historical methods and tools have influenced the effectiveness of retrieving and managing documents over time. The references provided offer a mix of philosophical, military, and historiographical perspectives that can contribute to understanding this topic.

- **PHIL-2023-001** discusses the historical development and application of philosophical methods, particularly the experimental and historical methods, which may provide insights into document retrieval methodologies.
- **Clausewitz_HistoricalExamples_Book2_Ch6** focuses on the use of historical examples in understanding war, which could be relevant to understanding historical context in document retrieval.
- **ENG-1678-KING-EXECution-001** provides an anecdote about historical documentation processes, offering practical examples of document handling during significant events.
- **HIST-2023-001** examines historiography and its evolution, which could help understand how historical documentation practices have evolved over time.

### Answer ###
The efficiency of document retrieval in historical contexts has been shaped by various philosophical, military, and historiographical developments. The adoption of the experimental and historical methods has significantly contributed to improving document retrieval strategies. As noted by Professor Sidgwick, the historical method has played a crucial role in recognizing the importance of social factors in the development of the mind, which subsequently influences the way documents are managed and retrieved<ref name="PHIL-2023-001">"the historical method is presumed to have made in the study of society and the human mind...by his adherence to the historical method"</ref>.

In military strategies, the use of historical examples has been fundamental for understanding the nature of warfare empirically. Clausewitz emphasized that historical experience provides invaluable knowledge about topics that cannot be fully understood through theoretical means alone<ref name="Clausewitz_HistoricalExamples_Book2_Ch6">"The knowledge which is basic to the art of war is empirical. The nature of war is revealed to us only by historical experience."</ref>. This principle can also be applied to document retrieval, where historical examples help validate and refine retrieval methods.

Practical examples from historical documentation processes further illustrate the efficiency challenges. During significant events like the execution of a king, the handling of documents was critical. For instance, in the case of King Charles I, the process of reading and executing a warrant involved multiple individuals and careful record-keeping<ref name="ENG-1678-KING-EXECUTION-001">"The warrant was produced and read by Hacker, during which Oliver addressed himself to Hanks, and desired him, in virtue of that document, to draw up an order for the execution."</ref>.

Evolution in historiographical practices also highlights the advancements in document retrieval techniques. The romantic period of historiography, while not entirely scientific, laid the groundwork for future systematic approaches<ref name="HIST-2023-001">"romantic historiography is not to be placed in either of the two, in so far as it is considered an epoch in the history of thought."</ref>. This period's focus on narrative and contextual understanding contributed to the development of more efficient methods for retrieving and analyzing historical documents.

In conclusion, the efficiency of document retrieval in historical contexts has been influenced by philosophical methods, practical military applications of historical examples, and evolving historiographical practices. These elements collectively inform current methodologies, ensuring that document retrieval remains effective and relevant across different periods and disciplines. 