Claim Testing: Authority
WORLD HISTORY PROJECT 1200 / LESSON 2.2 ACTIVITYCLAIM TESTING: AUTHORITYUnless otherwise noted, this work is licensed under CC BY 4.0. Credit: “Claim Testing: Authority”, OER Project, https://www.oerproject.com/1PurposeUnderstanding how and why we decide someone is an authority on a topic is a crucial skill, not just in history, but in our everyday assessment of claims. Dig into a historical debate about the voyages of Zheng He, a fourteenth-century sailor for the Ming Dynasty of China who led seven expeditions in the Indian Ocean, to consider what to do when authorities disagree.Key informationAuthority can be earnedbased on merit, such as licensure or education (doctors, teachers, aestheticians, electricians, lawyers, and so on). Authority can also be granted based on popularity or how closely we know—and therefore trust—someone.Process1.Review the credentials and theories of the two scholars, and then respond to the questions that follow. Barbara Bennett PetersonTansen SenCredentials•Emeritus professor of history at the University of Hawaii•PhD in history from the University of Hawaii •Former professor of history at Oregon State University and adjunct faculty at Portland State University•Senior Fulbright Scholar to Japan (1967) and China (1988–1989)•Nominated for the Pulitzer Prize seven times•Winner of numerous book awards including the Dartmouth Medal•Publications: 20+ papers, 22 booksCredentials•Professor of history and director of the Center for Global Asia at NYU Shanghai; associate professor of history at New York University•PhD in history from the University of Pennsylvania•Recipient of numerous grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the American Philosophical Society, the Japan Foundation, and others•Founding head of the Nalanda-Sriwijaya Center in Singapore•Served on the governing board of Nalanda University•Publications: 20+ papers, 6 books
WORLD HISTORY PROJECT 1200 / LESSON 2.2 ACTIVITYCLAIM TESTING: AUTHORITY2TheoryIn Peterson’s article “The Ming Voyages of Cheng Ho (Zheng He),” published in 1994, she acknowledges that Zheng He’s voyages throughout the Indian Ocean might have seemed intimidating to the people he came upon; however, she also states that “these expeditions had no intention of military conquest by force; rather they desired the expansion of the Middle Kingdom [China] by friendly trade and alliance.” Peterson admits that there were times when Zheng He had to intervene in local affairs such as “removing an unlawful usurper who had murdered the former king, a vassal of China,” but the overall mission was to establish “peaceful trade.” TheoryIn Sen’s article “The Impact of Zheng He’s Expeditions on Indian Ocean Interactions,” published in 2016, he argues that Zheng He’s expeditions in the Indian Ocean on behalf of the Ming Dynasty emperor were militaristic and sometimes violent in nature and resulted in the Ming Dynasty exerting control over the Indian Ocean from “coastal China to eastern Africa.” Sen cites evidence that Zheng He and his crew of thousands of Chinese sailors interfered in local disputes, waged wars against chieftains who were deemed unfavorable to China, and installed officials who were willing to pay tribute to the Ming emperor.2.Circle the credentials you think are most important based on the proposed theories of each scholar.3.Is one of these people more credible in their field than the other? Why or why not?4.Is it hard to choose between the theories described above? Why or why not?
WORLD HISTORY PROJECT 1200 / LESSON 2.2 ACTIVITYCLAIM TESTING: AUTHORITY35.What more would you need to know to determine whom to believe?6.Which other claim testers would be helpful to use in determining what to believe?7.How can two authorities on this topic have such different views of the same events? In other words, what does it mean to have a competing narrative in history class?
WORLD HISTORY PROJECT 1200 / LESSON 2.2 ACTIVITYCLAIM TESTING: AUTHORITY48.Based on the information provided about Barbara Bennett Peterson and Tansen Sen, write a claim about which authority you choose to believe and why.