Robinson attaches great importance to the function or practical value of historiography, and thinks that studying history is to help people understand the present and speculate on the future. He said that history "can help us understand the problems and prospects of ourselves, our peers and mankind." This is the most important function of history, but what most people ignore is precisely this greatest utility produced by history. "
Robinson also opposes the closure of traditional historiography, stressing that historians should use new scientific knowledge about human beings to find "new allies" and have extensive knowledge, instead of separating historiography from other social sciences like traditional historiography. These "new allies" include anthropology, prehistoric archaeology, social psychology, animal psychology, comparative religion, political economy and broad sociology. Robinson wrote: "If we make good use of our new allies in history, not only the scope of historical research can be greatly strengthened and deepened, but also more valuable achievements will be made in the historical garden than since ancient times." Robinson trained many students in his life, many of whom later became very important in American history. The new historiography movement led by Robinson also had a considerable impact.
It can be clearly seen in the New History that Robinson advocates expanding the scope of history, attaching importance to "historical continuity", adopting a "historical perspective" and the idea of evolution, and paying attention to the study of the overall historical process of ordinary things. These thoughts are borrowed from natural science and social science through comparative analysis and profound reflection. If the hierarchical school imitates natural science in argumentation methods, pursues objectivism, and is keen on textual research of historical materials, then Robinson learns from other disciplines in terms of how to choose facts and how to explain them, and advocates taking other disciplines as allies of historiography and actively using their valuable research results. From the development history of historiography itself, every progress of historiography is always accompanied by the improvement of human productivity and the progress of thinking mode. Therefore, Robinson consciously absorbs nutrition from the achievements of human material civilization and spiritual civilization and promotes the complementarity of various disciplines, which is undoubtedly in line with the trend of the times.
Attach importance to the connection between history and real life and emphasize the social function of history. Robinson advocates that historiography should be useful to society. He compares history to human memory, and thinks that the greatest function of history is to help people know themselves and understand the reality, thus benefiting the future. As an educator, Robinson pays special attention to the educational function of history. Although this historical value serves the bourgeoisie, it still has a reasonable component. All the achievements of human civilization are accumulated and precipitated from history. History, reality and future are an organic unity, and reality is based on the past. And reality and the future will eventually become the past. The theory of holographic unity of the universe tells people that the past, the present and the future are holographic unity, and they contain, contact and transform each other. Current events are the expression of information accumulated in the past, and future events are the externalization and expression of information stored now. Therefore, the role of historiography in understanding reality is objective. Only by paying attention to contemporary practical problems and making innovations can history be more attractive and appealing, arouse strong social repercussions, give full play to its due social functions and promote the progress of history itself.
Of course, the new history also has some obvious defects:
1. On the concept of development, it only recognizes quantitative change and denies qualitative change, and falls into the quagmire of vulgar evolution. Robinson appreciated Darwin's theory of evolution and accepted some of his influences. But Robinson's theory of evolution lacks dialectical mechanism. Although he often talks about social changes and emphasizes "historical continuity", he regards the development of human history as a gradual development process. He only recognizes gradual evolution, but denies leap and revolutionary changes.
2. Deny the scientific nature of historiography. Robinson believes that history is only "the artificial expansion of memory", so "history can never be a real science like physics, chemistry, physiology or anthropology". Since history is not a science, there is no law at all. He said, "It seems hopeless to bring history into the scope of some laws." Based on the complexity of historical phenomena, Robinson always holds incomplete historical materials, while ancient historians often exaggerate them, so it is true that historiography is relative. People agree that the correctness of historical works can only be relative and approximate. However, we cannot deny the scientific nature of history. First of all, the scientific nature of Li's historiography has been tested by practice, archaeological relics and various materials. Secondly, the scientific nature of history is based on detailed possession information. The description of historical facts, the presentation of arguments and the formation of ideas are all based on existing information, rather than arbitrary lip service. As far as natural science is concerned, not all conclusions can be reached in one step, which does not deny its scientific nature; Just say that all natural sciences are science.