History of perceptions - Philosophical Concept | Alexandria
History of perceptions, sometimes referred to as the history of mentalities, delves into the collective, often unconscious, beliefs, attitudes, and emotional responses held by people in different historical periods. It's more than a simple recounting of events; it's an attempt to understand how past societies conceptualized their world, experienced emotions, and made sense of their existence. Though often associated with the Annales School, this field’s exact origins are debated, challenging the very notion of a singular, definitive starting point.
While the formalization of this approach flourished in the 20th century, seeds of interest in collective mentalities can be traced back further. One could argue that early chronicles and anecdotal accounts, even those focused on political or military happenings, offered glimpses into the unspoken assumptions of the time. Think of the medieval chronicles detailing plague outbreaks – beyond casualty counts, they reveal a society’s understanding and fear of disease, coloured by religious beliefs and a limited understanding of medicine. These subtle cues become richer sources when questioned through the lens of historical perception.
The 20th century witnessed a surge in interest, particularly with historians like Lucien Febvre and Marc Bloch of the Annales School. They sought to move beyond purely political or economic history. Influenced by social sciences like sociology and anthropology, they explored everything from attitudes towards death to conceptions of time and space. Philippe Ariès’ Centuries of Childhood, for example, radically altered perceptions of how adults in previous eras viewed children, suggesting that childhood itself was a historical construct. These works sparked curiosity, prompting questions about other unexplored facets of the human experience in history.
Today, the history of perceptions continues to offer new insights into our understanding of the past, impacting fields like cultural studies and gender history. Whether examining the modern use of historical symbols in political movements or reinterpreting classic literature through the prism of past beliefs, the history of perceptions illuminates the threads connecting past and present. How we perceive history, and how historical actors perceived their own realities, shapes not just what happened, but also the very meaning we ascribe to existence. Is it possible to ever truly escape the biases of our own contemporary mentalities when attempting to understand those of the past?