The main stages in the development of historical knowledge. Stages of development of historical science

At all times people were extremely inquisitive. They wanted to know what was waiting for them and what was before them. The interest in the secrets of long-gone centuries has provoked their curiosity more and more. Passion led to the fact that people created one of the greatest sciences in the entire period of human existence - history. It is impossible to imagine which event or fact prompted people to create such a child, nevertheless historical science is the oldest of all. Its origins have stretched from the time of ancient Greece and Rome, when writing, the state system, literature and art were just emerging. As the evolution of mankind has evolved history, so today we are given a unique opportunity to look through the prism of time to those events and people who once lived and did great things. Also striking is the connection of historical science with other popular and important disciplines of our time, for example with politics, philosophy and economics. This feature shows the diversity and indispensability of history as a fundamental science. Everyone dreams to know everything in the world, because knowledge is the most formidable weapon. Therefore, history is meant to study the past, in order to better understand modernity and to foresee the future.

Is history a science or something more?

According to many scholars, modern history originated in 484 BC.

It was in that year that the famous Herodotus of Halicarnassus was born, who is rightfully called the "father of history". Most of his historical works allowed to see the life and order of ancient Greece, Scythia, Persia and other countries. This man is the author of the famous treatise entitled "History". For the domestic science Herodotus's writings were like a bible. Most of the ancient tribes described by scientists lived on the territory of modern Russia and Ukraine.

The term itself comes from the Greek language. "History" in translation means "research" or a science that studies the life and life of a person in the past. A narrower definition represents history as a science that studies historical events and facts for their objective description, study, and also for the purpose of establishing the consistency of the entire historical process.

The appearance of Herodotus and other scientists, working later, influenced the process of the formation of history itself. From this moment it is possible to single out the main stages in the development of historical knowledge, which has developed over the years and is increasingly filled with new terms and concepts. Today these stages are the basis in the study of historical science.

Stages of development of historical science

History has always developed cyclically. The process of its evolution has never been presented in the form of a sequence. The inconstancy of the man himself brought great changes in the science itself, thereby developing it. Almost all stages of the development of historical knowledge have many features. These unique facts characterize each stage in its own way. There are basically four main stages, namely:

- Ancient historical science.

- Medieval historical science.

- Historical science of modern times.

- Historical science of the XX century.

Characteristic stages

It has already been pointed out that the stages in the development of historical knowledge have their own characteristics. Each of them is inherent in one or another aspect that distinguishes a stage from an array of others.

1) The history of the ancient world was fundamental, since all subsequent interpretations of this science proceeded from the original version. For this stage, the following features are characteristic: a creative approach to science, historical events were described together with geography and economy of location, there was no scientific form of narration, no differentiation of science into disciplines was made.

2) The Middle Ages brought to history some aspects that had not previously existed. For example, as early as the 17th century, a general picture of the World History was formed. Also, a unified system of chronology was established, and the growth of interest in the past progressed.

3) New time is a century of development of science and technology. This stage brought into history fundamentally new approaches to the learning process. In science, the principles of objectivity, historicism and critical analysis of historical sources dominated.

4) Even with all innovations taken into account, the stages in the development of historical knowledge did not have an explosive effect as in the twentieth century. At that time, history turned into the foundation of politics, sociology, social psychology, etc. The science was actively used by political figures of those times for propaganda purposes. The development of the stage was also influenced by the collapse of the colonial empires. Many unknown states were able to join the world community and give everyone their culture.

History as a primary and secondary science

Earlier, the fact of the versatility and functionality of history as a science was noted . Such a proposition is proved by the fact that this science can be regarded as the main and as a secondary science. History gives the world not only classical knowledge of the past, but also makes a great contribution to other sciences, such as philosophy and politics. However, history can be used as a context in which the main stages of the formation of a completely different science will be considered. For example, the main historical stages of the development of environmental knowledge have developed for many years. Each of them experienced a certain time frame of different epochs. Hence we can talk about the history of these stages.

History and politics

The ability to manage the state arose long ago. To learn this craft, many generals, scientists or just well-to-do citizens of any country studied for years. This skill is called politics. It can be compared to art, because for a successful management of all government processes a person needs a little more than just talent. A politician is a sculptor whose clay is the state and its internal life. This science appeared and developed in parallel with history. The state system of Greece, in which the policy arose, contributed to its development. The main stages in the development of political knowledge in history are associated with the process of the formation of historical science. This is due to the fact that the historical process actually spawned politics. Many "venerable" politicians used their historical knowledge to manipulate the consciousness of the masses. But that is another topic.

The main historical stages in the development of philosophical knowledge

History and philosophy are almost always inextricable relationship with each other. These sciences supplemented and developed themselves. History allows you to look at what the world was like in the past, and philosophy shows the spiritual, identity of the past and the person.

The parallel development of these sciences brought the world a completely new branch of knowledge - the history of philosophy. It allows you to look at how the philosophy developed, taking into account the historical events that accompany this development. Large periods have the formative essence of socio-economic relations.

At its core, history and philosophy are related sciences. The difference is only in the way of the worldview of the representatives of these sciences. If historians are interested only in chronology and other aspects of the life of a man of the past, then philosophers consider the spiritual perception of the surrounding world. But the stages in the development of historical knowledge help to distinguish the periods of the formation and development of philosophy. To date, the following stages in philosophy are distinguished:

- Philosophy is ancient.

- Feudal philosophy.

- Bourgeois-Formational Philosophy.

- Modern science philosophy.

The law of three stages

History not only gave, but also received a certain benefit from the process of joint development with philosophy. In the distant 1830, a theory was put forward, which later became law. She defined her time in many aspects. Its author, Auguste Comte, called the theory "The law of three stages of the historical development of knowledge." He suggested that any knowledge and information pass through three main stages in the process of implementation in the mind of a person. These three theoretical stages were identified through the study of human consciousness. By means of the law, it is possible to explain in detail and study all the stages in the development of historical science.

Description of the stages of the "Law of Three Stages"

Each stage has its own purpose. There are only three stages: the theological, the metaphysical, the positive. The features of each are determined by the functions that it performs.

1) The theological stage allows you to determine to obtain a primitive knowledge of something. In this case, the mind of a person is in the state of an infant. All external processes are explained by analogy with their own actions.

2) The metaphysical stage is a "transit point". At this stage, the mind tends to absolute knowledge. The difference from the first stage is only that a person is capable of abstract thinking, and not a banal comparison.

3) The positive stage is the peak of the evolution of thinking. In the context of this stage, knowledge is introduced into a particular industry. According to Comte, this stage is the most serious, because it shows the process of evolution of a certain knowledge in the mind of a person.

Thanks to this theory, the stages in the development of historical science are filled with facts and events, and are also studied much more rigorously. "Law" clearly shows the process of the progressive development of history as a science.

History now

So, in the article the origin and main stages of development of historical knowledge, as well as related sciences were considered. In the modern world, history plays an important role. It is a fundamental science in the learning process. In addition, scientists enrich science with new knowledge by using the latest technologies and techniques.