A Past of Possibilities
A History of What Could Have Been
Pierre Singaravélou author Quentin Deluermoz author Stephen W Sawyer translator
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Yale University Press
Published:23rd Nov '21
Should be back in stock very soon
This book examines alternate histories and pivotal moments that could have changed the course of events, inviting readers to consider different outcomes in A Past of Possibilities.
What if history had taken a different path? A Past of Possibilities delves into this intriguing question by exploring hypothetical turning points from Ancient Greece to the events of September 11. It encourages readers to reflect on pivotal moments that shaped our world and consider how alternate histories might have unfolded. With a focus on uchronias, or alternate histories, the authors invite a deeper examination of significant events that could have led to different outcomes.
The book spans a wide range of historical events, including the Boxer Rebellion in China, the 1848 revolution in France, and the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914. By integrating elements of science fiction, sociology, anthropology, and film, A Past of Possibilities presents a multifaceted view of history that goes beyond mere speculation. The authors, Quentin Deluermoz and Pierre Singaravélou, engage with the genre of counterfactual history, offering insights into how these alternate narratives can influence our understanding of actual historical events.
Through a combination of bizarre fictional scenarios and serious scientific hypotheses, the book provides a comprehensive survey of counterfactual histories. It addresses methodological issues within the social sciences and proposes practical applications for utilizing alternate histories in academic research and public discourse. In doing so, A Past of Possibilities not only reimagines history but also explores the vast potential of futures that never came to be.
“Our political activities are based on the presumption that choices matter. But historians rarely consider roads not taken and the chain of consequences that a different direction at a crucial turning point could have had. Quentin Deluermoz and Pierre Singaravélou push us to pose such questions, and hence to reconsider how we think about history.”—Frederick Cooper, author of Citizenship, Inequality, and Difference: Historical Perspectives
“In this wonderful book, Quentin Deluermoz and Pierre Singaravelou show "counterfactual history" has itself a long and rich history. Ever since Tite-Live, Edward Gibbon, Louis Geoffroy and Niall Ferguson, social actors and intellectuals have been describing some of the many historical paths and bifurcations which did not happen. The book offers a fascinating analysis of this body of discourse, its uses and misuses. A must-read by two of the most innovative historians of their generation.”—Thomas Piketty, author of Capital and Ideology
“Impeccably documented, A Past of Possibilities provides an impressively broad survey of the usages of counterfactual reasoning in various disciplines, weaves epistemological reflections with critical assessments, spells out methodological recommendations, and outlines how these can inform the teaching of history in various settings: a remarkable and multi-faceted achievement.”— Ivan Ermakoff, author of Ruling Oneself Out: A Theory of Collective Abdications
ISBN: 9780300227543
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
400 pages