Historicism

Across the twentieth century, people in many walks of life hurled the charge of "historicism" at one another, yet it has never been clear what the word was supposed to mean. Studies of the term disagree widely, and like other "-isms" it seems able to stand for almost anything, which may be why it has begun to sound empty. Still, some questions persist. Why were so many thinkers in the humanities and social sciences uneasy about historicism? Why did musicians and members of parliament also sound warnings against it? How did one term survive across generations, disciplines, countries and languages?

This book follows the paths historicism took. Rather than treating it as a single doctrine, it uses the concept as a lens onto links between academic fields and intellectual traditions that are often studied separately. Sociologists, theologians and historians each tried to steer clear of the dangers they associated with historicism, and the book explains why the word carried such strong feelings of anxiety, anger and worry.

The volume also offers new readings of key figures, including Friedrich Meinecke, Karl Löwith and Leo Strauss. It shows how historicism acquired new meanings, associations and emotional weight as it moved through different times and places.