Historism
Historicism, also called historicism, is a school of thought in historiography and the philosophy of history that argues social, cultural, and legal phenomena can only be understood within their historical contexts. It opposes universal, ahistorical theories that claim to explain events or institutions by timeless laws. Instead, historicists contend that each era develops its own logic, norms, and motives, and that knowledge of the past is formed through careful reconstruction of sources and institutions.
Historicism emerged in 19th-century Germany as part of the historical school (Historismus) in law, political science,
Core ideas include historical particularity, the rejection of universal laws of history, and the belief that
Criticisms have included charges of relativism and underemphasizing long-term social forces or universal human concerns. In