Regimes of Historicity

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François Hartog examines pivotal shifts in society's "regimes of historicity," or its relationships with the past, present, and future. Drawing inspiration from thinkers like Hannah Arendt and Reinhart Koselleck, he analyzes a wide array of texts, including The Odyssey, which he positions at the cusp of historical consciousness, contrasting it with Marshall Sahlins's concept of "heroic history." Hartog explores evolving perceptions of time in Chateaubriand's Historical Essay and Travels in America, aligning them with writings from the French Revolution. He revisits the French Annales School's insights and connects Pierre Nora's Realms of Memory to a history of heritage and contemporary presentism, addressing Jonas's idea of our responsibility toward the future. Our presentist experience is neither uniform nor straightforward; it varies significantly based on our societal position. Some are swept up in global movements and rapid changes, while others endure the precarious existence of casual labor, facing a stagnant present devoid of a recognized past or a tangible future. Consequently, the present can feel either liberating or confining, and the future is increasingly viewed as a threat rather than a promise. Hartog's insightful readings illuminate the stalled momentum of history-writing and reveal the complex nature of our current relationship with time.