Using Concepts in Medieval History: Perspectives on Britain and Ireland, 1100-1500

This book explores the use of concepts in medieval history, examining the benefits and drawbacks of using concepts to understand the past. It offers case studies of other concepts such as colony, crisis, frontier, identity, magic, networks, and politics, highlighting the creative friction between historical ideas and analytical categories and the potential for fresh and meaningful understandings to emerge from their dialogue.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 201 pages
Publication date: 25 January 2022
Publisher: Springer Nature Switzerland AG

This groundbreaking work stands as the inaugural exploration of conceptual history in the context of studying the Middle Ages, delving into the advantages and challenges of employing concepts in the examination of this historical era. Concepts hold immense significance for historians as tools for comprehending past societies, yet the creation of these concepts to organize the vast intricacies of the past often leads to their independent existence, exerting undue influence on historical interpretation. A prime illustration of this phenomenon is the concept of 'feudalism,' which has been critically examined by E.A.R. Brown over fifty years after her seminal article on the subject. The contributors to this volume present a collection of case studies examining other influential concepts such as colony, crisis, frontier, identity, magic, networks, and politics, particularly in the later Middle Ages, with particular relevance to historians of Britain and Ireland. Through its examination, the book explores the dynamic interplay between historical ideas and analytical categories, uncovering the potential for novel and profound understandings to arise from their engaging dialogue.

Weight: 334g
Dimension: 234 x 156 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783030772796
Edition number: 1st ed. 2022