Conceptual history (also the history of concepts or, from German, ''Begriffsgeschichte'') is a branch of historical and cultural studies that deals with the historical
semantics
Semantics (from grc, σημαντικός ''sēmantikós'', "significant") is the study of reference, meaning, or truth. The term can be used to refer to subfields of several distinct disciplines, including philosophy, linguistics and comp ...
of terms. It sees the
etymology
Etymology ()The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p. 633 "Etymology /ˌɛtɪˈmɒlədʒi/ the study of the class in words and the way their meanings have changed throughout time". is the study of the history of the Phonological chan ...
and the change in meaning of terms as forming a crucial basis for contemporary cultural, conceptual and linguistic understanding. Conceptual history deals with the evolution of paradigmatic ideas and value systems over time, such as "liberty" or "reform". It argues that
social history – indeed all historical reflection – must begin with an understanding of historically contingent cultural values and practices in their particular contexts over time, not merely as unchanging ideologies or processes.
Description and history
Interest in conceptual history was given a particular boost in the 20th century through the publication of the ''Historisches Wörterbuch der Philosophie'', the ''Geschichtliche Grundbegriffe'', and the journal ''
Archiv für Begriffsgeschichte''.
Conceptual history is an
interdisciplinary methodology. Alongside the
philosopher Joachim Ritter, the
historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the st ...
s
Otto Brunner
Otto Brunner (21 April 1898 in Mödling, Lower Austria12 June 1982 in Hamburg) was an Austrian historian. He is best known for his work on later medieval and early modern European social history.
Brunner's research made a sharp break with the t ...
,
Werner Conze Werner may refer to:
People
* Werner (name), origin of the name and people with this name as surname and given name
Fictional characters
* Werner (comics), a German comic book character
* Werner Von Croy, a fictional character in the ''Tomb Rai ...
, and
Reinhart Koselleck
Reinhart Koselleck (23 April 1923 – 3 February 2006) was a German historian. He is widely considered to be one of the most important historians of the twentieth century. He occupied a distinctive position within history, working outside of any p ...
, and the
sociologist Erich Rothacker are viewed as its pioneers in the German-speaking world and internationally.
Raymond Williams
Raymond Henry Williams (31 August 1921 – 26 January 1988) was a Welsh socialist writer, academic, novelist and critic influential within the New Left and in wider culture. His writings on politics, culture, the media and literature contribu ...
was the leading scholar in the English-speaking world. Since the
Eighties, a relevant development of the history of concepts (''storia dei concetti''), has been promoted by a numerous group of Italian scholars, counting among them
Alessandro Biral,
Giuseppe Duso, , and
Roberto Esposito
Roberto Esposito ( Piano di Sorrento, 4 August 1950) is an Italian political philosopher, critical theorist, and professor, notable for his academic research and works on biopolitics. He currently serves as professor of theoretical philosophy at ...
, founders of the
Centro di ricerca sul lessico politico europeo. Outlets of the Italian debate on conceptual history have been the short-lived ''Centauro'' (1981-1986) and ''Filosofia Politica'', founded in 1987. Today, conceptual history is promoted also by the History of Concepts Group and its peer-reviewed journal ''
Contributions to the History of Concepts'' under the lead of
Margrit Pernau, Jan Ifversen, and Jani Marjanen. Examples of conceptual histories include a genealogy of the concept of globalization drawing on the approach of Williams written by
Paul James and
Manfred B. Steger:
This historiographical approach has also been used by the Cambridge Group for the History and Epistemology of Psychiatry who, since the 1980s, has published a long series of papers on the ‘conceptual history’ of the most relevant mental symptoms and diseases.
[Berrios G.E. & Marková I.S. (2002) Conceptual issues. In H. D’Haenen, J.A. den Boer and P. Willner (eds) ''Biological Psychiatry''. New York, John Willey, pp3-24.]
See also
*
History of ideas
Intellectual history (also the history of ideas) is the study of the history of human thought and of intellectuals, people who conceptualize, discuss, write about, and concern themselves with ideas. The investigative premise of intellectual his ...
References
Footnotes
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
"Begriffsgeschichte" (History of concepts)by Birger Hjørland
CONCEPTA – International Research School in Conceptual History and Political ThoughtCentre of Excellence in Political Thought and Conceptual Change, University of JyväskyläContributions to the History of Concepts WebsiteWhat is Conceptual History? CLEAR Projectby Anders Hassing
Centro Interuniversitario di Ricerca sul Lessico Politico e Giuridico Europeo (CIRLPGE)
{{Use British English Oxford spelling, date=August 2019
Cultural studies
Interdisciplinary historical research