História da Historiografia: International Journal of Theory and History of Historiography

Uma apologia da história das ideias

2025-06-02T13:49:08-03:00

Neste artigo proponho uma avaliação da história da ciência compreendida interdisciplinarmente como história das ideias, com o objetivo de analisar e esclarecer a imbricação do histórico e do filosófico nos processos de transformação e legitimação do conhecimento científico. A história das ideias demonstra sua relevância ao evidenciar a migração e a mutação das concepções, especialmente as científicas, em distintos âmbitos históricos e filosóficos. Mais do que um simples inventário de conhecimentos, essa disciplina busca compreender como tradições e debates configuram e acompanham o movimento de ideias e crenças no fluxo temporal. Por meio dessa abordagem, torna-se possível identificar os rastros e traços que demarcam as diversas recepções e interpretações das ideias, bem como esclarecer suas transformações que circunscrevem diferentes períodos, ressaltando, assim, o caráter dinâmico e contínuo da construção do conhecimento humano.

Approaches to the History of Philosophical Concepts

2025-03-07T13:10:52-03:00

This article addresses historiographical questions about the concepts by which philosophy attempts to provide answers to the problems it poses. It argues for a view of philosophy as a historically dynamic intellectual practice that has no clear and fixed boundaries separating it from other disciplines. It proposes that the history of philosophy should be practiced as a kind of history that lies within, rather than outside, intellectual history. It shows that philosophical concepts are sometimes born and persist within philosophy, sometimes die without passing through philosophy, and sometimes come from or migrate to other disciplines. It also argues that the methodology of conceptual history can be helpful in the study of philosophical concepts. The article concludes that the history of philosophy is relevant in its own right and suggests how the new histories of philosophy written from postcolonial, global, and feminist perspectives are a clear example of this.

Koselleck, Danto and Total History

2025-12-12T06:50:12-03:00

This paper argues that there are still lessons that theorists of history can learn from the linguistic turn in philosophy--in particular from its most influential practitioner, Wittgenstein. I take a Wittgensteinian approach in examining the concept of “total history” as it appears in the work of Koselleck and Danto. I argue that the concept is a pseudo-concept which has effects on their work even though each argues for the impossibility of its achievement. The implications are drawn for considering history as ongoing inquiry and the multiplicity of the types of questions that history seeks to answer. This approach avoids philosophical pseudo-problems and is a more assured way of establishing “history in the plural”, the phrase that has become attached to Koselleck’s work by his partisans.

Narrativa y metáfora como instrumentos cognitivos

2025-12-06T18:15:01-03:00

El término linguistic turn y sus implicaciones cobraron fuerza principalmente en ámbitos académicos anglófonos, convirtiéndose en un tema central en los estudios sobre teoría de la historia. Este artículo examina otras tradiciones que, por vías distintas, también replantearon el papel del lenguaje y la narrativa en el conocimiento histórico, centrándose en José Ortega y Gasset, cuya obra ha sido casi ignorada en estos debates. Mientras Danto, Mink y White, desde la epistemología, abordaron la narrativa y la metáfora como herramientas cognitivas, Ortega, ontologicamente, elaboró un enfoque distinto que preserva un lugar para la realidad histórica. No se trata de considerarlo como una especie de precursor de los desarrollos anglófonos del giro lingüístico, sino de mostrar cómo, en consonancia con dichos desarrollos, implementó formas capazes de preservar un lugar para la realidad histórica. Ortega no perdió de vista las particularidades ontológicas del pasado humano. Para explicar dichas particularidades, este artículo propone dos conceptos: entes que son como dramas y sustancias dramáticas.

Mapping Theory of History after the Linguistic Turn

2025-12-06T18:15:01-03:00

During the last decades of the 20th century, the theory of history experienced an influence of the linguistic turn, primarily through the narrativist movement. Recently, however, interest in narrativism and the linguistic turn declined, and several new approaches to the theory of history emerged. In the paper, I discuss just two of them and, where relevant, I focus on how they transform or criticize narrativism. Namely, I explore new realism and an epistemic approach. The latter approach is developed in various forms, from which I select the so-called pragmatist non-representationalism and the approach focusing on the role of evidence in history. The paper aims to categorize and to characterize a couple of interesting positions as well as to offer a very selective map of what has been happening in the theory of history after the linguistic turn.

Toward a postproblematic history

2025-12-12T06:50:07-03:00

The article advances the idea of a "postproblematic" history, arguing that the discipline move beyond its persistent focus on epistemology and the attendant fact–fiction debate. It sees these discussions as at an impasse and hindering the field's development. A postproblematic approach entails two key shifts. First, it rejects the seemingly unresolvable epistemological debate that has dominated discussions. Second, it asks that historians abandon the search for "answers." Instead, it urges them to embrace their roles as both antiquarians and politically engaged actors, collecting and presenting historical information while acknowledging that the meanings imposed on the past are inextricably tied to present-day concerns and values. This overall shift requires revisiting earlier theoretical positions, including a reconsideration of the ethical implications of poststructuralist thought, a rethinking of the societal role of the historian, and reaching a better appreciation of the ethical relationship between historian and reader.

Trust, Testimony, and the Epistemic Value of Historical Narrative

2025-12-06T18:15:02-03:00

A significant contribution of narrativist philosophy of history (whether analytical, phenomenological, or poststructuralist) lies in its critique of relying solely on "strictly" epistemic criteria to evaluate historical narratives. Rather than assessing them based on empirical evidence alone, which is often seen as neutral and value-free, narrativism calls for a broader perspective. This is because no description of people and their behavior can be value-neutral. Narrativism thus aligns with constructivist theories of linguistic meaning, linked to the "linguistic turn." I propose a dialogue between narrativism and the epistemology of testimony. By adopting the latter's concepts (trust, authority, and epistemic community), narrativism can 1) reconstruct practices of epistemic validation in history and 2) address the historian’s responsibility to marginalized voices. Simultaneously, I argue that the epistemology of testimony should engage with narrativism to better understand the complexity of narrative constructions in epistemic communities.

Humpty Dumpty Historiography

2025-12-16T20:30:50-03:00

The phrase “the linguistic turn” owes much of its currency in and out of historiography either to Richard Rorty’s classic 1967 anthology or John Toews’ much cited 1987 essay, each of which employs that term in their respective titles. Within historical theory particular significance has been attributed to Toews’ essay for its role in identifying a singular theoretical moment. The pervasive theoretical influence attributed to “the linguistic turn” and the role of this specific essay in heralding that moment remains undiminished. Yet despite all this attention, an important thematic connection between the two works has been missed. As a result, the most basic problem raised by the linguistic turn remains unacknowledged, hence undiscussed, and so unresolved. To appreciate why requires revisiting issues actually raised under the rubric of “the linguistic turn” and so making clear the deep thematic connections between Rorty’s anthology and Toews’ essay.

La legitimidad del imperialismo ateniense en la historiografía

2025-12-12T06:50:18-03:00

Este artículo identifica y analiza a la Escuela de Inspiración Marxista en el Ámbito Hispánico, en el estudio del imperialismo ateniense, agrupando a autores que comparten influencias teóricas y enfoques comunes. Desde la experiencia de sus autores en contextos de resistencia política a regímenes autoritarios en América Latina y España, esta corriente examina el papel de las clases sociales y la subjetivación política del demos en la Grecia clásica. A través de un enfoque metodológico estructurado en influencias teóricas, sujetos históricos, fuentes y legitimidad del imperialismo, se destaca el rol del conflicto y la concordia entre la élite y las clases populares en el desarrollo del proyecto imperialista ateniense. La inspiración en el marxismo de esta corriente ofrece una visión crítica de las relaciones de poder y dinámicas de clase en la democracia ateniense. Esta propuesta metodológica subraya la contribución distintiva de esta escuela historiográfica y ofrece una herramienta para futuros estudios historiográficos comparativos.

Nationalist historiography and revisionism in Peru in the mid-20th century

2025-12-12T06:50:23-03:00

This article presents an overview of Latin American and Peruvian historiography of the Enlightenment in the 1950s. It is argued that in Peru there was a traditional vision of the Enlightenment that connected it directly with the independence process by locating in it the development of a national consciousness in the Creole elite. This perspective was articulated with the official discourse that attributed a heroic character to them: the Peruvian Creoles were the «precursors» of Peruvian independence. In his high school thesis, Pablo Macera criticized this nationalist discourse by showing that the heroic representation of the Creole «precursors» hid the fact that they were economically, socially, and politically conservative, not revolutionary. Macera, in contrast to the precursors, identified other minor actors who would be more «revolutionary» in their ideas and political proposals. Likewise, this thesis presents an early questioning of the traditional history of ideas current in Latin America by basing itself on the sociology of knowledge that allows it to pay attention to the social and discursive context of the thought and action of the Lima Creoles of the 18th century. Based on these approaches, it is argued that Macera's work can be located within a revisionist historiographical discourse.

História da Historiografia da Amazônia

2024-04-15T11:19:49-03:00

Este artigo é uma contribuição às historiografias brasileira e amazônica no que se refere ao cenário intelectual das primeiras décadas do século XX, propondo-se a analisar o papel do Instituto Histórico e Geográfico do Pará (IHGP) e do Instituto Geográfico e Histórico do Amazonas (IGHA) na construção de um campo historiográfico regional na Amazônia de 1917 a 1951. Investiga-se, a partir de revistas, capítulos e artigos, o processo de criação dos institutos históricos da Amazônia e concomitantemente o movimento de especialização disciplinar na região, contribuindo para a construção de um campo historiográfico amazônico. A leitura inicial dos documentos possibilitou compreender que o IHGP e IGHA foram criados frente ao contexto da crise da borracha e por influências republicanas, e os historiadores desses institutos institucionalizaram suas produções a partir de publicações nas revistas dessas instituições, bem como suas narrativas revelaram a preocupação com a construção de uma história das origens amazônicas em diálogo com a história do Brasil.

Historiografia, Identidade e Memória paraguaia

2025-11-25T02:17:56-03:00

O artigo explora a obra "La tirania en el Paraguay" (1903) de Cecílio Báez, analisando como conceitos de Walter Benjamin, Gilles Deleuze e Félix Guattari auxiliam na compreensão da tradição, memória e territorialidade. Báez, inserido no contexto dos Novecentos, critica as tiranias e propõe uma reconfiguração da identidade paraguaia através da educação. A análise dialoga com Brezzo, Centurión, Corbo e Cerna Villagra para compreender o ecossistema historiográfico platense. As conclusões destacam que a obra de Báez, ao reinterpretar o passado mediante uma ótica romântica e evolucionista, contribui para a construção de identidades paraguaia forjada pela ciência de seu tempo, que considerava a biologia, a moral e os sentidos históricos fundadores da nacionalidade.

O estabelecimento de um campo androcentrado para a história na França oitocentista

2025-11-25T02:17:57-03:00

Nos últimos anos, a história da historiografia tem se proposto a repensar o estabelecimento do campo da história no século XIX problematizando suas marcações misóginas, características e sintomas do processo de disciplinarização. Este artigo é uma tentativa de contribuir com tal debate, tendo como foco a participação de uma “mulher de letras”, a feminista Louise Dauriat, no congresso de história organizado pelo Institut Historique de Paris, em 1837, e toda a querela que se estabeleceu a partir de então. Parte-se desse evento para compreender a rejeição sofrida por mulheres historiadoras ao longo de todo o oitocentos, sobretudo em relação à proibição de entrada em instituições que se propunham a estabelecer formatos de pesquisa e escrita históricas, e os problemas que tal ostracismo acarretou em termos práticos e também epistêmicos.

History of Historiography in the Amazon

2025-05-27T12:35:44-03:00

This article is a contribution to Brazilian and Amazonian historiographies regarding the intellectual scenario of the early 20th century, proposing to analyze the role of the Historical and Geographical Institute of Pará (IHGP) and the Geographical and Historical Institute of Amazonas (IGHA) in constructing a regional historiographic field in the Amazon, between 1917 and 1951. The process of creating the historical institutes of the Amazon and the concurrent movement of disciplinary specialization in the region, contributing to the construction of an Amazonian historiographic field, is investigated on journals, chapters, and articles. The initial reading allowed us to understand that the IHGP and IGHA were created in response to the rubber crisis and republican influences. The historians of these institutes institutionalized their productions by publishing in their journals, whose narratives revealed a concern with elaborating a history of Amazonian origins in dialogue with the history of Brazil.

Uma história reacionária?

2025-11-25T02:17:55-03:00

Este texto tem por objetivo ensaiar algumas hipóteses sobre a atual desdemocratização do passado nos Estados Unidos da Era Trump, a partir de um estudo de caso das leis anti-teoria crítica da raça aprovadas em uma série de estados pelo Partido Republicano e de sua ofensiva contra o julgamento honesto da história da escravidão e da violência racial na/da nação. O texto conclui, assim, que essa ofensiva faz parte de um processo maior de desdemocratização política que visa, dentre outras coisas, redefinir os elos da história com a pólis para legitimar a “saída da democracia” em curso no país.

A Reactionary History?

2025-11-25T02:17:55-03:00

The present text aims to propose a few hypotheses about the current de-democratization of the past in the United States of the Trump Age, from the standpoint of a case study of anti-Critical Race Theory (CRT) laws approved by the Republican Party in a series of states and their assault on the honest judgment of the US history of slavery and racial violence. The text concludes that this assault is part of a larger process of political de-democratization that aims to, among other things, redefine the links between history and the polis in order to legitimize the “exit from democracy” currently underway in the country.

The Battle for Jambudvīpa

2025-11-25T02:52:56-03:00

This study critically examines contemporary efforts to reinterpret Jambudvīpa by relocating key Buddhist sites from their historically recognised locations in India to Sri Lanka. Analysing the works of selected Sinhalese authors and organisations demonstrates how such claims, often framed as expressions of cultural pride or nationalist revival, contradict well-established archaeological, textual, and epigraphic evidence. Although presented in patriotic terms, these narratives lack scholarly credibility and advance ideological agendas aimed at reshaping national identity through religious history. The current study underscores the importance of rigorous, evidence-based historiography in countering pseudohistorical claims and promoting a balanced understanding of Sri Lanka’s Buddhist heritage.

Ranajit Guha and Dipesh Chakrabarty on the Limits of History

2025-11-25T02:17:54-03:00

At the turn of the 21st century, South Asian historians Ranajit Guha (1923-2023) and Dipesh Chakrabarty (1948-) turned their attention to the discussion of the limits of history. In this paper, we analyze the limits of history and possible new approaches to historiography as understood by both historians, with a focus on the dialogue with the works by Rabindranath Tagore proposed by them. We argue that: 1) the validity of history as a concept or as discipline to deal with categories such as the Anthropocene or the planet does not depend on expanding the conceptual limits of history indefinitely, and could benefit from the methodological strategy of writing oneself into a history that is, to some extent, one’s own; 2) to do so, creativity, imagination, and empathy combine not to write another version of a single and all-encompassing history, but to recognize multiple worlds that articulate the human, the non-human, and the more-than-human.

Twentieth Century Historical Methods in Sri Lanka and S.G. Perera’s

2025-11-25T02:52:56-03:00

Twentieth-century pre-independence Sri Lanka saw the emergence of a new generation of historians that embraced “modern” approaches to writing history. As in other regions of South Asia, these histories were often in service of projects of identity formation. One historian from this group, S.G. Perera, made significant contributions towards knowledge of the history of the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka in particular, translating a significant amount from Portuguese historical materials. As part of a larger project investigating the relationship between historical practice and Catholic identity through the work of Sri Lankan Jesuit historian and priest S.G. Perera, this article focuses on Perera’s 1932 textbook, A History of Ceylon for Schools. Using qualitative coding methods, it observes the historical method and discourse used in Perera’s textbook to demonstrate how he worked within this modern tradition to rhetorically advance a Catholic, Sri Lankan nationalist perspective.

Beyond the Narrative

2025-11-25T02:51:26-03:00

This article aims to present both an unconventional object of analysis (renegades) and an unusual historical-philosophical approach in studies concerning phenomena located in the State of India. A powerful portion of the Portuguese Empire, this region hosted the only inquisitorial court established overseas by the Portuguese Crown, which, through its investigative procedures generating valuable documentation, made it possible to access the life experiences of six men identified as apostates and renegades. Thus, drawing on concepts from Agamben’s philosophy (the sacred and the profane) and Foucault (transgression) to understand the phenomenon of renegation among subjects of the Catholic Crown in India between the 16th and 17th centuries, this work seeks to propose a historiographical perspective that goes beyond merely recounting past experiences, instead delving into them in greater depth.