The Concept of History

Reviews / Votes

Nikulin's book is a remarkable effort of scholarship. He presents a compelling argument for how the very conception of history with which we operate is itself a historical product that emerged as a practice through a process of assimilation and differentiation from other practices and forms of discourse ... Thus even if one disagrees with the conclusions the author reaches, it is hard to see how anyone could write about the philosophy of history without somehow acknowledging and confronting the conceptual advancements this book sets forth. * Graduate Faculty Philosophy Journal * [A] major contribution to the understanding of what history is and what it is not ... The author is at his best not only when he argues that historians seek meaning in their choice of subjects and seek truth in dealing with them, but also when he notes that they may seek to save the past for the future. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Graduate students and faculty. * CHOICE * Nikulin offers a wide-ranging and compelling treatment of the philosophy of history. The book's implications are philosophically significant and will interest a range of readers. * Bryn Mawr Classical Review * Nikulin's tour de force questions three deeply-held idols in the philosophy of history: 1. that history is purposeful, 2. history is unidirectional, and 3. history is systematic. Rather than simply debunk them, however, his rigorous analysis shows how the question of what history amounts to remains philosophically relevant. Through an exploration demonstrating equal familiarity with Homer and the ancient historians, the early moderns and German idealists, and current practitioners such as Hayden White and Jan Assmann, Nikulin shows that history is both multifaceted yet unifying, structured yet fluid, without purpose yet not bereft of meaning. The chapters on Homer and Memory alone may well be worth the price of the book. This study contains insights relevant to the entire range of interested parties--from first-time inquirers to specialists. It makes a real contribution to the revivification of philosophical interest in history. -- Jeffrey Bernstein, Associate Professor of philosophy, College of the Holy Cross, USA Nikulin offers us a significant and mature reflection on the philosophy of history that asks for our attentive consideration. He writes with impressive intelligence, wide ranging reference and in a thoughtful manner that engages the reader. Avoiding the extreme of a univocal universal history, he offers us a pluralistic view of multiple histories, without at the same time falling into historicist relativism. Warmly recommended. * William Desmond, Professor of Philosophy, Villanova University, USA *