Historical social science: limits and prospects

Abstract

This article analyzes the history and the theoretical underpinnings of one of the most wellknownGerman contemporary historiographical traditions, namely, the historical social science.Departing from the criticism leveled at social history from historians hailing from new culturalhistory, micro-history and the history of everyday-life, the author attempts to deepen the capacityof historical social science for self-reflection by means of a survey of its limits and futureperspectives. His proposed reconstruction of many of social history’s theoretical andmethodological presuppositions is synthesized by the term historical science of society.