This survey introduces readers to the major themes, figures, traditions and theories in Western historical thought, tracing its evolution from biblical times to the present. It discusses conceptions of and approaches to the human past in the ancient, medieval, early modern and modern West eras.

List of Contributors viii Acknowledgments xii Introduction: The Cultural History of Historical Thought 1Lloyd Kramer and Sarah Maza PART I THE PRE-MODERN ORIGINS OF WESTERN HISTORICAL THOUGHT 1 Historiography in Ancient Israel 15John Van Seters 2 Historical Thought in Ancient Greece 35Philip A. Stadter 3 Historical Thought in Ancient Rome 60J. E. Lendon 4 Historical Thought in Medieval Europe 78Gabrielle M. Spiegel 5 Historical Thought in the Renaissance 99Paula Findlen PART II THE SHAPING OF MODERN WESTERN HISTORICAL THOUGHT 6 Historical Thought in the Era of the Enlightenment 123Johnson Kent Wright 7 German Historical Thought in the Age of Herder, Kant, and Hegel 143Harold Mah 8 German Historical Writing from Ranke to Weber: The Primacy of Politics 166Harry Liebersohn 9 National History in the Age of Michelet, Macaulay, and Bancroft 185Thomas N. Baker 10 Marxism and Historical Thought 205Walter L. Adamson PART III PATTERNS IN TWENTIETH-CENTURY WESTERN HISTORICAL THOUGHT 11 The Professionalization of Historical Studies and the Guiding Assumptions of Modern Historical Thought 225Georg G. Iggers 12 The History of Armed Power 243Peter Paret 13 Total History and Microhistory: The French and Italian Paradigms 262David A. Bell 14 Anthropology and the History of Culture 277William M. Reddy 15 The History of Science, Or, an Oxymoronic Theory of Relativistic Objectivity 297Ken Alder 16 Language, Literary Studies, and Historical Thought 319Susan A. Crane 17 Psychology, Psychoanalysis, and Historical Thought 337Lynn Hunt 18 Redefining Historical Identities: Sexuality, Gender, and the Self 357Carolyn J. Dean 19 Historicizing Natural Environments: The Deep Roots of Environmental History 372Andrew C. Isenberg PART IV CHALLENGES TO THE BOUNDARIES OF WESTERN HISTORICAL THOUGHT 20 The New World History 393Jerry H. Bentley 21 Postcolonial History 417Prasenjit Duara 22 The Multicultural History of Nations 432Donna R. Gabaccia 23 New Technologies and Historical Knowledge 447James M. Murray 24 The Visual Media and Historical Knowledge 466Robert A. Rosenstone Consolidated Bibliography 482 Index 495

This broad survey introduces readers to the major themes, figures, traditions and theories in Western historical thought, tracing its evolution from biblical times to the present. The volume comprises 24 chapters by leading historians who discuss conceptions of and approaches to the human past in the ancient, medieval, early modern and modern West, stressing the long-term patterns and traditions in historical thinking that survive to this day. Chapters range from overviews of eras in the history of historical thought, to discussions of new methods that historians have drawn from other disciplines and of new historical subjects, such as gender, sexuality, selfhood, and natural environments. The volume concludes with essays on contemporary challenges to classic, Western definitions of history that have emerged in global history, multiculturalism, post-colonialism, and new technologies. For students, this Companion provides the background they need in order to understand contemporary historical debates and approaches, while for researchers and teachers it will serve as a useful reference work.

"This companion is expansive in its subject and links with other disciplines, such as ancient history and the classics, anthropology, Biblical studies and theology… It covers many expected subjects, but also explores lesser-known areas of historical interest as well as the challenges to historical thought in the twenty-first century that will continue to make this companion a useful library resource." Reference Reviews

List of Contributors. Acknowledgments. Introduction: The Cultural History of Historical Thought. Part I: The Pre-Modern Origins of Western Historical Thought:. Part II: The Shaping of Modern Western Historical Thought:. Part III: Patterns in Twentieth-Century Western Historical Thought:. Part IV: Challenges to the Boundaries of Western Historical Thought: Consolidated Bibliography. Index.