The return of the history of ideas—Observations on the evolution of research paradigms in the history of ideas

Abstract

This paper examines the evolution of research paradigms in the history of ideas from the early twentieth century to the present, combing through the various changes which took place during this process of evolution. If the history of ideas as established by Arthur O. Lovejoy merely consists of research on basic “unit-ideas,” then the new history of ideas today is instead presented as shifting toward a focus on context, rhetoric, actions, and so on, with linguistic philosophy as its theoretical underpinnings; similarly, guided by an orientation toward social constructs, the “new sociocultural history” emphasizes the study of the relationship between ideas and social constructs. Echoing the march of globalization, the “spatial turn” has now emerged as well. In fact, regardless of the dimension of research, this has by no means resulted in a decline in research on the history of ideas, but has rather enriched its research paradigms, and expanded its field of vision. The new prosperity now welcomed in by the history of ideas after experiencing these shifts could thus perhaps be described as the resurgence and return of the study of the history of ideas.