Storia moderna e società contemporanea

Abstract

The author deals with the concept of modern history and agrees with its definition and use given by the Anglo-Saxon and German historiography. Therefore we may distinguish between an early modern history which consists in the shaping of modern world, and the late modern history with the rise of the market, of the State and of liberalism and democracy. He argues that modern history is essentially European history which is now over. The role of Europe in modern history is a matter of fact, and it has nothing to do with any idea of European or Western superiority. In fact Prodi underlines how Europe in the XV century was a sort of appendix of Asia. He thinks that modern history can be considered the age of the paper, which for historians it means written documents and archives. The computer might be the tool of the new frontier of history, the contemporary history. He argues then with the American information scientist Nicholas Negroponte who said «I have always hated history. It is a useless and heavy burden». The author finally emphasizes the role of history in our telematic society arguing that historical knowledge is essential to understand what luggage we go with in the globalized world.