Book: Conceptualizing the History of the Present Time - María Inés Mudrovcic (Cambridge University Press, free up to May 30)

Conceptualizing the History of the Present Time

María Inés Mudrovcic

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 03 May 2024

Available: 

https://cup.org/3Qzl4xj

https://www.cambridge.org/core/elements/conceptualizing-the-history-of-the-present-time/6DE5F1356F86C274574E3EEB913E2592

María Inés Mudrovcic

National University of Comahue IPEHCS-Patagonian Institute of Studies on

Humanities and Social Sciences

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Summary

In this work, I explore four meanings of 'contemporary,' emphasizing its designation as a historical field. I argue that disagreements about when the presento or the contemporary era begins stem from historians assuming a linear, chronological, and absolute conception of time. Following scholars like L. Descombes, L. Hölscher, B. Latour, D. J. Wilcox and S. Tanaka, I propose conceiving relational historical time without chronology, emphasizing the original sense of “sharing the same time” that 'contemporary' acquired for the first time. This perspective mitigates issues concerning the 'beginnings' or 'meaning' of the present. Emphasizing relationships within a relational time framework aids in overcoming ontological challenges like 'so many presents' or 'distance in time,' along with the corresponding epistemological issue of 'objectivity.' This exploration aims to reevaluate and enrich our understanding of the multifaceted concept of the 'present' in the context of history.

 

Element contents

• Summary
• 1 The Present, the Contemporary and the Order of Time
• 1.1 Introduction
• 2 Present As “Sharing the Same Time”
• 3 Contemporary As an Epoch
• 3.1 Contemporary As an Epochal Experience of Time
• 3.2 Contemporary As an Epoch or a Period
• 4 When Contemporary Conflates with Present
• 4.1 Memory and History
• 4.2 When Memory Bursts into History
• 4.3 Limits of Historical Representation
• 5 History of the Present Time
• 5.1 History “in Crisis”
• 5.2 Presentism and the History of Present Time
• 5.3 History of the Present Time and Institutions
• 5.4 Many Names for the Same Historiographical Field?
• 5.5 Criticism and Controversies
• 6 Absolute Time, Chronology, and History
• 6.1 The Present within the Framework of Linear and Chronological Time: Some Problems

·           6.2 “Living Together”: A Relational Approach of Understanding the Present

·   Historical Theory and Practice

·   Footnotes

·   References

 

Information

Series: Elements in Historical Theory and Practice

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009047739[Opens in a new window]

Online ISBN: 9781009047739

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication: 30 May 2024

 

Disponível neste link: 

https://www.cambridge.org/core/elements/conceptualizing-the-history-of-the-present-time/6DE5F1356F86C274574E3EEB913E2592