History and totality in the work of Dale Tomich

Abstract

Dale Tomich’s significant contributions to methodology and theory in historical writing have been underexplored in theoretical and methodological discussions. This article fills this gap by examining the influence of the Marxian-Hegelian historical tradition, foundational to critical theory, on Tomich’s work. The study also considers how his work has shaped the field of slavery studies and historiography more broadly and emphasizes some of the most promising directions that a serious engagement with his vast work can take us. It concludes with a personal note about his great efforts to help us build a new research center in Brazil that could continue the legacy of the Fernand Braudel Center, which had in Dale Tomich one of its key figures for almost half a century.