James Harvey Robinson was an American historian. Robinson was born Bloomington, Illinois. He taught history at the University of Pennsylvania (1891–95) and Columbia University (1895–1919), becoming a full professor in 1895.

In 1919, he was one of the founders of the New School for Social Research, of which he was the first director. Through his writings and lectures, in which he stressed the "new history" — the social, scientific, and intellectual progress of humanity rather than merely political happenings — he exerted an important influence on the study and teaching of history. An editor (1892–95) of the Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, he was also an associate editor (1912–20) of the American Historical Review and president (1929) of the American Historical Association.

Quotations

"We find it hard to believe that other people' s thoughts are as silly as our own, but they probably are."

"Most of our so-called reasoning consists in finding arguments for going on believing as we already do."

"Rationalizing is the self-exculpation which occurs when we feel ourselves, or our group, accused of misapprehension or error."

"Partisanship is our great curse. We too readily assume that everything has two sides and that it is our duty to be on one or the other."