Abstract
American historian George Armstrong Kelly (1932-87) emphasized the importance of scholarly responsibility and duty in the writing of history, and his own work reflected the application of this "historiographical conscience." His confrontation of accepted interpretations and fashionable academic trends, as well as his willingness to address unpopular issues, such as the victimization of aristocrats during the French Revolution or the positive role of the state, all demonstrate the strong moral dimension of his work. One of the recurring subjects in his work was religion and its role in history, particularly that of politics in the United States, and he emphasized the problem of the gap between scholars and the general public, above all in their approach to religion. Underlying his work were the dual foundations of Stoicism and irony, as well as an admiration for the writings of Hegel and de Tocqueville.