Abstract
Develops a program for the "partly new" theory of history outlined by the author in "History as an Artificial Science" in the anthology 'Artifacts and Artificial Science' (2002). A fundamental starting point is the seemingly trivial observation that "the past extends all the way to the present," that is, to the interface between the past and the future. Interesting complications arise if one connects this statement to the equally trivial claim that "the historian's task is to describe the past." From this claim it follows that all people are everyday historians, unceasingly writing what the author has called "ongoing history" in contrast to those people who call themselves historians - amateur or professional - and who produce what can be called conventional history. However, there is not really a theoretical difference, even though the ongoing history writing is usually short-term and of a forecast-oriented nature, based on direct observation of the so-called reality. In the writing of ongoing history complete professions can be found, whose principled situation is the same as that of the conventional historian, that is, they are dependent on indirect observation of past events and processes. To this group belong physicians, lawyers, and, not least, journalists. The article focuses on the latter, since they are often engaged in writing political history.