Time and World-History

Abstract

A concept of time is implicit in any theory that endeavors to make sense of human existence. History, particularly world-history or macro-history, is multi-dimensional, relative, and infinite. Comprehending the infinite has long been an epistemological puzzle for both mathematics and philosophy, but one that has never been explicitly contextualized for historical sociological research. Because the infinite needs to be measured by a concept that is similarly infinite, how can one conceive of a non-terminating sweep of history when the tools with which we measure time are themselves finite or use finite increments? By shifting the focus away from the ontology of time to the epistemological issues raised by the concept of infinite time, I contend that historical sociology can begin to incorporate a more explicit understanding of how time affects the results and conclusions drawn from historical research through an understanding of the methodological and polemical implications of the epistemological issues raised by the concept of infinite time. In this article, I contend that an explicit philosophy of infinite time for historical sociology has implications for the epistemological foundations of historical sociology, but more importantly, affects whether historical sociology can describe the political economy of capitalism and develop left praxis.