The Paradox of Cognitive Historiography
The "turn to science" in History under the lens of Epigenetics
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.2447-2158.i11p88-121Keywords:
Cognitive Historiography, History of Science, Cognitive Science, Theory of History, EpigeneticsAbstract
In spite of a recent shared commitment to the collaboration between historiographical and cognitive-evolutionary perspectives, the age-old “dichotomy” between cultural contingency and biological determinism continues to cast a divisive shadow over attempts to map out the human biosocial landscape. Against this background, the current tension between two distinctive versions of the raison d’être and implications of Cognitive Historiography serves as an example. In this regard, our main argument is that a number of recent developments in Epigenetics could add a welcome variety of parameters and theoretical resources for exploiting this debate to mutual benefit of both parts.
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