Resumen

M. RUIZ, Nydia. Sources, Tales and the Construction of Patriotic History. Revista Venezolana de Economía y Ciencias Sociales [online]. 2005, vol.11, n.2, pp.237-249. ISSN 20030507.

Since history deals with texts, discourse analysis is heuristic at two levels: it functions as an instrument for the interpretation of sources, and also for the interpretation of the historian’s own discourse. This article examines two sources: an eighteenth-century "arbitrio" and the discourse on its author by a contemporary source. The latter, inspired by the official ‘patriotic history’ discourse, is developed within a general framework which emphasizes the struggle against colonial rule and, above all, the Independence War, as a legitimizing of the present. The article intends to throw light on the relevance of discourse analysis in the investigation of the practices by way of which myths and symbols integrate a social plurality into a power unit, using both rational and irrational means.

Palabras clave : Sources; Research; Discourse; History; Venezuela.