Transhistorical
Encyclopedia
Transhistoricity is the quality of holding throughout human history, not merely within the frame of reference of a particular form of society
at a particular stage of historical development. An entity or concept that has transhistoricity is said to be transhistorical.
Certain theories of history, (e.g. that of Hegel), treat human history as divided into distinct epochs with their own internal logic
s - historical materialism
is the most famous case of such a theory. States of affairs which hold within one epoch may be completely absent, or carry opposite implications in another, according to these theories.
to the idea that meanings are bounded by their historical context. It is the temporal equivalent of the spatial concept of universality
.
traditions of Hegelian or Marxian thought, but matter additionally in the debates around Kuhn's
notion of paradigm shift
and similar discussions.
Frederic Jameson, a marxist or perhaps post-modern theorist, is a case in point. He famously asserted (1981) that theory must "Always historicize!", going on to wryly observe that this order was itself a "transhistorical imperative".
Others look for transhistorical continuities to inform what's basic to the human condition. For example, Simonton (1976), finds some regularities in the types of ideas that gain ascendancy following certain types of historical events, in a data series spanning 2,500 years.
In more recent years, research in the vicinity of Evolutionary psychology
has proceeded on the basis that some observed transcultural regularities in human behaviour are also transhistoric, accounted for by their being fixed in the genetic legacy common to all Homo sapiens.
and folk art
(or lesser disciplines) hinges on the question of whether art can (and if so, if it should) aspire to transcend the particular frame of reference within which it was produced. This frame may be taken to be historically delimited. See, for example, Crowther (2002).
Society
A society, or a human society, is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations, or a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations...
at a particular stage of historical development. An entity or concept that has transhistoricity is said to be transhistorical.
Certain theories of history, (e.g. that of Hegel), treat human history as divided into distinct epochs with their own internal logic
Logic
In philosophy, Logic is the formal systematic study of the principles of valid inference and correct reasoning. Logic is used in most intellectual activities, but is studied primarily in the disciplines of philosophy, mathematics, semantics, and computer science...
s - historical materialism
Historical materialism
Historical materialism is a methodological approach to the study of society, economics, and history, first articulated by Karl Marx as "the materialist conception of history". Historical materialism looks for the causes of developments and changes in human society in the means by which humans...
is the most famous case of such a theory. States of affairs which hold within one epoch may be completely absent, or carry opposite implications in another, according to these theories.
In the abstract
Transhistoricity may be seen as the necessary antithesisAntithesis
Antithesis is a counter-proposition and denotes a direct contrast to the original proposition...
to the idea that meanings are bounded by their historical context. It is the temporal equivalent of the spatial concept of universality
Universality (philosophy)
In philosophy, universalism is a doctrine or school claiming universal facts can be discovered and is therefore understood as being in opposition to relativism. In certain religions, universality is the quality ascribed to an entity whose existence is consistent throughout the universe...
.
In sociopolitical theory
Questions of what might and might not be transhistorical phenomena are typically the concern of historians and sociologists identifying with the historicistHistoricism
Historicism is a mode of thinking that assigns a central and basic significance to a specific context, such as historical period, geographical place and local culture. As such it is in contrast to individualist theories of knowledges such as empiricism and rationalism, which neglect the role of...
traditions of Hegelian or Marxian thought, but matter additionally in the debates around Kuhn's
Thomas Kuhn
Thomas Samuel Kuhn was an American historian and philosopher of science whose controversial 1962 book The Structure of Scientific Revolutions was deeply influential in both academic and popular circles, introducing the term "paradigm shift," which has since become an English-language staple.Kuhn...
notion of paradigm shift
Paradigm shift
A Paradigm shift is, according to Thomas Kuhn in his influential book The Structure of Scientific Revolutions , a change in the basic assumptions, or paradigms, within the ruling theory of science...
and similar discussions.
Frederic Jameson, a marxist or perhaps post-modern theorist, is a case in point. He famously asserted (1981) that theory must "Always historicize!", going on to wryly observe that this order was itself a "transhistorical imperative".
Others look for transhistorical continuities to inform what's basic to the human condition. For example, Simonton (1976), finds some regularities in the types of ideas that gain ascendancy following certain types of historical events, in a data series spanning 2,500 years.
In more recent years, research in the vicinity of Evolutionary psychology
Evolutionary psychology
Evolutionary psychology is an approach in the social and natural sciences that examines psychological traits such as memory, perception, and language from a modern evolutionary perspective. It seeks to identify which human psychological traits are evolved adaptations, that is, the functional...
has proceeded on the basis that some observed transcultural regularities in human behaviour are also transhistoric, accounted for by their being fixed in the genetic legacy common to all Homo sapiens.
In aesthetics
Part of the debate over the distinction between high artHigh art
High art may refer to:*High Art, a 1998 feature film*Fine art...
and folk art
Folk art
Folk art encompasses art produced from an indigenous culture or by peasants or other laboring tradespeople. In contrast to fine art, folk art is primarily utilitarian and decorative rather than purely aesthetic....
(or lesser disciplines) hinges on the question of whether art can (and if so, if it should) aspire to transcend the particular frame of reference within which it was produced. This frame may be taken to be historically delimited. See, for example, Crowther (2002).