The structures of history
Author(s)
Bibliographic Information
The structures of history
（Studies in social discontinuity / general editor, Charles Tilly）
Blackwell, 1993
- : hbk
- : pbk
Available at 34 libraries
Note
Includes bibliographical references (p. [227]-263) and index
Description and Table of Contents
- Volume
-
: hbk ISBN 9780631184645
Description
In "The Structures of History" Christopher Lloyd questions whether narration on its own can provide a real understanding of history, and addresses, in philosophical and practical terms, the fundamental problems of whether it is possible to know and to explain the history of human societies, and, if so, how these tasks might be aproached. The book revolves around an inquiry into the general nature of historical structures, how these have been studied by historians, anthropologists, sociologists and philosophers, and how they relate to events, actions and beliefs. The author draws upon a wide range of reference in the philosophy of history and science, and in the writings of historians and social scientists during the last two centuries. The thrust of his account is against the relativism of such as Rorty, Foucault and Derrida, and for the complex socio-historical realism exemplified in the writings of Geertz, Gellner, Ladurie and Mann. Christopher Lloyd concludes that an objective understanding of the past is not an impossible ambition, and he provides a searching analysis of the framework and methods necessary to its realization.
Table of Contents
- Explaining the history of economic and social structures
- a critical survey of structural history approaches
- methodological structurism in historical explanation
- realism and structurism as the foundations for a science of structural history
- historical materialism and structurism
- realism, structurism and history as the foundations for a unified and transformative science of society.
- Volume
-
: pbk ISBN 9780631184652
Description
In The Structures of History Christopher Lloyd questions whether narration on its own can provide a real understanding of history, and addresses in philosophical and practical terms the fundamental problems of whether it is possible to know and to explain the history of human societies, and if so how these tasks might be approached.The book revolves around an inquiry into the general nature of historical structures, how these have been studied by historians, anthropologists, sociologists and philosophers, and how they relate to events, actions and beliefs. The author draws upon a wide range of reference in the philosophy of history and science, and in the writings of historians and social scientists during the last two centuries. The thrust of his account is against the relativism of such as Rorty, Foucault and Derrida, and for the complex socio-historical realism exemplified in the writings of Geertz, Gellner, Ladurie and Mann.Christopher Lloyd concludes that an objective understanding of the past is not an impossible ambition, and he provides a searching analysis of the framework and methods necessary to its realization.
Table of Contents
Introduction. 1. Explaining the History of Economic and Social Structures. 2. A Critical Survey of Structural History Approaches. 3. Methodological Structurism in Historical Explanation. 4. Realism and Structurism as the Foundations for a Science of Structural History. 5. Historical Materialism and Structurism. 6. Realism, Structurism, and History as the Foundations for a Unified and Transformative Science of Society. Conclusion. Notes. Bibliography.
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