Historicism

Historicism is an approach and theory which emphasise the importance of historical knowledge. The theory of historicism believes that the only true understanding of a person, society, historical period, etc. comes about through the knowledge of its history. Historicists consider that human beings are products of history. The events are influenced by historical conditions, rather than by people. Hegel considered that all human societies and their activities are defined by their history. Benedetto Croce defined Historicism as ‘the affirmation that life and reality are history alone’.

Historicism in its present theoretical form was shaped through the writings of Giambattista Vico and Johann Gottfried Herder in the 18^th century. The most significant theorists and historians commonly associated with historicism are Leopold von Ranke, Wilhelm Dilthey, J.G. Droysen, Friedrich Meinecke, Croce, and R.G. Collingwood. The important aspects of the theory of historicism are discussed below:

Historical Knowledge is Time and Place Specific

Historicism in its primary meaning refers to the Historical act of observing historical periods on their own terms rather than any imposed by the historian. Historicist believes that all knowledge, including ‘historical knowledge’, is time and place-specific. It was recognised that the past was different from the present. Historicism insisted to judge the past on its own terms. It insists that historians should aim to understand the events actions and thoughts of people in their own historical moments. Historical understanding is thus entirely derived from within that place, time, and context.

Historical Period has its own standard

Every historical period had its own standards through which it determined what was trustworthy knowledge and acceptable truth. Historicism rejects enlightenment ideas about the unchangeable human nature. Thus, human experiences should not be judged on the basis of universal principles. In understanding the past in its own terms, historians have to realise that each historical period possessed its own standards by which we can judge the past. So every person, event, and process is historically unique. In reconstructing the past in its own terms, the historian has to control, his/her contemporary perspectives.

History was determined by general laws

Historicism believes that history was determined by laws. There are general, evident, and determining patterns in the process of historical change. Historical phenomena are defined by their specific context and thereby be explained by the factors that gave rise to them. To understand a society, one must understand its history and the forces that shaped it. Thus, historicism proposes a theory of history holding that the course of events is determined by unchangeable laws or patterns.

The basic question in historicism is how accurately we can represent the -past- as history through our words and concepts. It holds that all historical knowledge is relative to the standpoint of the historian.

New Historicism

New Historicism is a literary theory that proposes that literature should be studied and interpreted within the context of history. This approach considers a literary work as a product of the time, place, and historical circumstances of its composition. New Historicists aim to understand literary work through its historical context. It also aims to investigate intellectual history and cultural history through literature. New Historicism attempted to reintroduce the concept of history into literary studies. The theory of New Historicism is shaped by the literary criticism of Stephen Greenblatt and influenced by the philosophy of Michel Foucault. This is literature’s turn toward interpreting the literary text in its historical context.