Which of the following correct ?  

A. R.G. Collingwood said, "As works of the imagination the historian’s work and the novelist's do not differ. Where they de differ is that the historian's picture is meant to be true.”

B. Willen de Kooning said, "The present does not influence me; I influence it."

C. Marc Bloch said, “But history is neither watch-making nor cabinet construction. It is an endeavour towards better understanding.”

D. David Shannon said, “Life is not simple and therefore history, which is past life, is not simple.’

E. Ambrose Bierce said, "God alone knows the future, but only a historian can alter the past."

Choose the correct answer from the options given below: 

The correct answer is A, C, D and E only.

Key Points 

• R.G. Collingwood:
  • He was an English philosopher, historian and archaeologist. 
  • He is best known for his philosophical works, including "The Principles of Art (1938)" and the posthumously published "The Idea of History (1946)".
  • R.G. Collingwood in his The Idea of History stated that "As works of the imagination the historian’s work and the novelist's do not differ."
  • Where they do differ is that the historian's picture is meant to be true.” Hence, A is correct.
• William de Kooning:
  • ​He was a Dutch-born American painter.
  • He is known as the most famous proponent of Abstract Expressionist form of painting.
  • He stated that "The past does not influence me; I influence it." Hence, B is incorrect.
• March Bloch:
  • ​He was a French historian.
  • He is most notably known as one of the founding members of the Annales School of History.
  • In his book, The Historian's Craft, he stated that “But history is neither watchmaking nor cabinet construction.
     
  •  
    It is an endeavour towards better understanding.” Hence, C is correct.
• David A. Shanon:
  • He was an American historian who wrote extensively on American history.
  • ​The statement, “Life is not simple and therefore history, which is a past life, is not simple.", was made by David A. Shanon. Hence, D is correct.
  • He made this statement in his book, Between the Wars: America, 1919-1941.
• Ambrose Bierce:
  • ​Ambrose Bierce was an American writer.
  • He wrote across genres including, but not limited to, short stories, novels, etc.

  • He stated that "God alone knows the future, but only a historian can alter the past." Hence, E is correct.

Thus, we can conclude that the correct answer is option 2) A, C, D and E only.