Alliance of intellectual and social history in historical research

Abstract

The aim of the article is to research one of the segments of modern historiographical situation. The use of methods of historiographical analysis allows to identify the state of development of the issue and to offer methodological recommendations for determining the prospects of historiographical synthesis. It is determined that the traditions of studying social and intellectual history in Ukrainian historiography began to develop in the second half of the 19th century. However, the evolution of these areas in the world humanities had a very superficial impact on it. Historiographic inertia still rather rigidly outlines the disciplinary fields. Thus, the key research object for intellectual history is still the history of political thought, for social history – the history of large social groups. Historians are still interested in socio-political currents, social and economic processes and phenomenon in frames established by Soviet and nationally-oriented historiography. Personological and ideological canons, formed in the early 20th century, with minor changes survived up to the 21st century as a set of ideas and figures responsible predominantly for the Ukrainian national revival. Insufficient basis on empirical material and superficial fascination with theoretical constructions did not allow reaching a more adequate level of understanding of past reality. Some attempts to overcome the disciplinary distinction and research inertia did not cause fundamental changes. The scientific novelty is connected with comprehension of practical experience and observations of the historiographical process, which led to the belief that the time of hermetic approaches has passed. Despite some doubts about potential of interdisciplinarity, that have emerged recently, we think that the unity of social and intellectual history may demonstrate a new quality in comprehension of the native past. In conclusion, it is emphasized that the interaction of these areas under the label of еру social history of ideas dictates the expansion of sources, personalities and methodological approaches, which allows neutralizing the beliefs that precede research and analytical categories to be born from empirical data. It turned out that the synthesis of mental and social-economic can be quite productive. It can essentially change the notions on both socio-economic peculiarities and intellectual situation in Ukrainian regions of the Russian empire. Type of article: theoretical and methodological.