Full Idea
Generally speaking, history is scientific when it depends on documents whose accuracy is not questioned.
Gist of Idea
History is scientific when it relies on accurate documents
Source
Simone Weil (Lect 3: Politics and Society [1933], p.140)
A Reaction
This seems to miss the obvious hermeneutic point, that even reliable documents need deconstructing, and to be seen against a background. I think she still makes an important distinction.
Book Reference
Weil,Simone: 'Lectures on Philosophy' [CUP 1978], p.140