Toward a Theory of Historical Periodization: The Notion of Late Premodernity

This book addresses the problem of historical periodization, which represents a foundational but comparatively unexplored issue in historiography. Rather than treating periodization as a neutral descriptive tool, it approaches it as a theoretical problem with significant implications for how historical change is understood. Its central focus is the heterogeneity of time and the consequences this temporal dimension has for how history is divided into periods.

The book begins by examining the notions required for a systematic approach to periodization, including the definitions of early, middle, and late periods. It proceeds to argue for a division of history that is based on the relations between and within different social forms, leading to a new interpretation of Premodernity and Modernity. Finally, these arguments are brought together in the claim that the period spanning roughly from 1450 to 1750, which is typically understood as the early modern era, should instead be interpreted as the late premodern period. This is not merely a matter of renaming or relabeling, but entails a fundamental conceptual shift.

The notion of Late Premodernity represents a challenge to the tripartite division of history into Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and Modernity, which remains one of the most influential frameworks of periodization to this day. More broadly, the book aims to show that discussions about historical periodization offer a distinct new perspective on human history.