Theory of History

The course refers to the concept of history and its main theories and methodologies. How does the past turn into history? How do we create cohesive, meaningful histories out of the chaotic events and phenomena of past times? Is history the sole way in which modern societies relate to the past? What is the role of myth, memory, art? What is public history? What is historical experience? Dominant trends in historical thought: Historicism and social history, structuralism and the longues durées, from culture to cultural history, micro-history and social anthropology, mnemonic studies, oral history and psychoanalysis, feminism and gender history, meta-history and the linguistic turn. Postmodernism and the problem of truth. Transnational history and historiography. What "the end of history" means and what are the prospects for historical studies and for historians?

Objectives

The course aims to familiarize students with the formation of the history as well as with the basic theories and methodologies used.

Prerequisites

None

Syllabus

History and past, historical information, historical time, judging the past, causality, evolution of historical writing, history and memory, public history, historical culture, historical theories