Futures of the History of the Humanities: An Introduction

Abstract

Over the last decade, scholarly attention has turned to the humanities’ collective past with renewed energy and sense of purpose. As a result, a new field of research, the history of the humanities, has crystalized and received broad international attention. In this forum, we take a special interest in the question of where the history of the humanities is heading. And where do we want it to go? In order to fuel discussion, six scholars have been invited to contribute their perspectives on what the future holds for the field. In our introduction, we frame these contributions by outlining the origins, current state, and potential trajectories of the new (or possibly reformed) field of research. Summarizing the ambitions of the field as well as its transdisciplinary links and influences, we reflect on why it has emerged as well as consider the larger implications for the humanities as a whole. It is argued that although the full potential of the history of the humanities is far from being reached, the very concept has functioned as an integrative platform, opening up new lines of inquiry within a larger framework. Nevertheless, as the contributions to this forum collectively make evident, there are also a number of challenges that the history of the humanities will face going forward.