Generations in History: Reflections on a Controversial Concept

Abstract

From a biological-genealogical perspective, the history of mankind appears as a steady continuous flow of thousands of millions of individual lives upon which no collective periodization can be imposed. In contrast, the history of the social production of man characteristically moves in stages, that is, distinc- tive periods of time. The conceptual model of historical generations leads to the meeting point of these two very different phenomena. The discussion which follows deals first of all with the origin and the devel- opment of the concept of historical generations. Second, it presents a critical evaluation of its important variations; and finally it examines the question of its practical use for historians. It will show that some historicans have- unrealistically -hoped to use the concept of generations as the basis of a com- pletely new understanding of the laws of historical development. In the end, these hopes have resulted only in an evasion of concrete treatment; the resulting historical works dissolve in banalities, tautologies, and unsubstantial specula- tions. However, it will also demonstrate that the idea of historical generations can easily survive a scaling down to a reasonable examination as measured by reality; and that in this reduced form it can be useful for the understanding of several sociohistorical developments. As a by-product of this investigation, it will show that basically only two pairs of alternative questions have been raised in previous, often misleading, discussions of the idea of historical generations: 1. Assuming that generational phenomena of any type can be established in history: Are they primary (that is, biologically caused) manifestations, and consequently do they occur in regular intervals? Or are they secondary manifestations based on definite external events and facts, which therefore would have to occur at completely irregular intervals? 2. Can one treat generations in history as universals, that is, as common enti- ties which shape an epoch and a society? Or can the concept only be used

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