How would you describe the

job of a historian?

Some Possible Answers:

Chronicler?
Interpreter?
Philosopher/Metaphysiciana new
idea that develops in secular thinking
about history in the 18th century

Major Concepts of Historical

Development

 Linear vs. Cyclical

Progressive vs. Non-Progressive
Teleological vs. Non-Teleological

I.LinearHistory
FallofRomanEmpire
476C.E.

DiscoveryofAmerica
1492C.E.

ColonizationofMars
2400C.E.

ProgressiveManylineartheoristsbelieveintheevolution
orimprovementofhumancultureovertime.
NonProgressiveOneDamnThingAfterAnother

II.CyclicalHistory

A.Rebirth

C.Dark
Age

B.Golden
Age
UsuallyNonProgressive:Particularschange,butthepatterniseternal

EnterGiambattistaVico
(16681744)

Publicationofthe
ScienzaNuova,1725
NeitherProgressiveNorTeleological,ButHugely
Influential(EspeciallyforHegelandMarx!!)
AVisionofHumanityastheProductofSocial
Conditions
AHistoricallyDeterminedViewofReality

ThreeStagesoftheViconianCycle
1. DivineorTheocratic:Theocraticgovernment;
Fascinationwiththesupernatural;Metaphoras
dominanttrope
2. AristocraticorHeroic:Ruleofthestrongandthe
swift;Fascinationwithexceptionalindividuals;
Metonymyasdominanttrope
3. Democratic/Individualistic:Democraticruleoflaw;
Fascinationwiththeideasofequalityand
opportunity;Ironyisdominanttrope
(SideNote:JamesJoycesIdea
oftheRicorsoin
FinnegansWake)

ABigShiftin19th
CenturyPhilosophy
Empiricism>Phenomenology

Phenomenology
AlogicalextensionofKantsdistinction:Phenomenavs.Noumena
PhilosophyasthePursuitofAGreaterUnderstandingofthe
QualitativeNatureofExperience
AnObjectiveStudyofSubjectivityItself
TheStudyofHowConsciousnessorMindAppearsToItself

Enter G. W. F. Hegel
(17701831)

ATheoryofHistoryThatIsProgressiveAndTeologicalAnd
Phenomenological
EssentialsofHegelsTheory
1.

HistoryIsADialectical
Process

2.

TheDialecticalProcess
(ThesisAntithesis
Synthesis)Occurs
ConstantlyonManyLevels

3.

TheCauseAndTelosof
HistoryisGeist(Absolute
MindorSpirit)SeekingTo
FullyExpressItself

HegelinPrussia?

MedievalEurope

RomanEmpire

AthenianDemocracy

An Example (Sort of) of

Hegelian Dialectic

Thesis:PureBeing

Antithesis:
Nothingness

Synthesis:Becoming!

AnotherBigShiftin19th
CenturyPhilosophy
Empiricism>Materialism

Enter Karl Marx

(18201895)

And His Buddy Friedrich Engels

(17701831)

TransformingHegel
MarxandEngels
famouslydecided
thatHegelwas
standingonhis
headand
determinedtoturn
himrightsideup
withDialectical
Materialism.

ATheoryofHistoryThatIsProgressiveAndTeologicalAnd
Materialist
EssentialsofCommunistTheory
1.

HistoryIsAProcessof
ConflictOvertheMeansof
Production

2.

TheDialecticofThis
ConflictProducesSocial,
Cultural,andEconomic
Change

3.

TheTelosofHistoryisthe
EndofSocial,Cultural,and
EconomicConflict

AWorkersParadise?

Revolutionofthe
Proletariat

CapitalistOligarchy

FeudalistFiefdoms

PrimitiveCommunism

A Simplified Version of
Marxist Dialectical Analysis
Thesis:AFeudal
Societyinwhich
PowerandWorth
AreDeterminedby
ControlofLand

Antithesis: A Capitalist Society In Which

Power and Worth Are Determined by the
Abstract Concept of Monetary Wealth

Synthesis: A Massive
Proletariat Demands
and Creates the
Classless Society,
Distributing the
Means of Production
Equally

SoWhatDoesAllThisHaveToDo
WithFyodorDoestevsky(18211881)?

UtopianSocialism
WhenDostoevsky
arrivedinSt.Petersberg
inthe1840s,intellectual
culturewasdominated
bytheinfluenceof
FrenchUtopian
SocialistslikeCharles
Fourier.

FranoisMarieCharlesFourier
(17721837)

Fouriersgradualistapproachtoachieving
utopiawasChristianandhumanistin
orientation,basedupontheideathatamore
naturallyorganizedwayoflivingwouldleadto
liberatedpassionforallhumanbeings.
InhisTheoryoftheFourMovements,he
identified12commonpassionsthatcreate810
typesofcharacter,hencehisidentificationof
1,620peopleastheidealpopulationfora
phalanstery.

ThePhalanstery

In1848,whileMarxpublishedTheCommunist
Manifestoandamassivetideofrevolutionbrokeacross
WesternEurope,Dostoevskyjoinedaradicaldiscussion
groupcalledthePetrashevskyCircleandbecame
involvedinclandestinerevolutionaryactivity.
AspectreishauntingEuropethespectreof
communism.AllthepowersofoldEuropehaveentered
intoaholyalliancetoexorcisethisspectre.
Preamble,CommunistManifesto

OnApril23,1848,membersofTsarNicholasIs
ThirdSectionofsecretpolicecametoDostoevskys
apartmentat4a.m.toarresthim.Ninemonthslater,he
andtheotherconspiratorsweresubjectedtoamock
executionandthensentencedtohardlaborinSiberia.

UponreturningtoSt.Peterburgin1859,Dostoevskydiscovereda
wholenewgenerationofradicalsadvocatingmuchmoreextreme
politicalandculturalvalues:theRussianNihilists!
MikhailBakunin
(18141876)

N.G.Chernyshevsky
(18281889)

D.I.Pisarev
(18401868)

Russian Nihilism

RussianNihilismwasheavilyinfluencedbythephilosophical
materialism,biologicaldeterminism,andutilitarianrational
egoismofChernyshevsky
InbookslikeTheAnthropologicalPrincipleinPhilosophy,
Chernyshevskyportrayshumanityasentirelyboundbythelawsof
nature,acreaturethatseekspleasureandselfinterestbuthas
thecapacitytobenefitmankindwithselfishlyunselfishbehavior.

RepresentationsofNihilistIdeas
OnthegoalsoftheRevolutionary:Thenegationofwhatexistsforthebenefitof
thefuturethatdoesnotyetexist.
MikhaelBakunin,PrivateLetterof1842
"Hereistheultimatumofourcamp.Whatcanbesmashedmustbesmashed;
whateverwillstandtheblowissound,whatfliesintosmithereensisrubbish;atany
rate,hitoutrightandleft,noharmwillorcancomeofit.
DmitriPisarev,RoadtoRevolution,c.1860
Chernyshevskyimagineslifeasexistenceshornofthesplendorsoftheimaginary
transcendentNeitheroverhim,noroutsidehim,norinsidehimdoesherecognize
anyregulator,anymorallaw,anyprinciple...Nothingexceptpersonaltasteprevents
himfrommurderingandrobbing.
JosephFrank,Dostoevsky:AWriterinHisTime,2009