A gyorslábú Atalanté és a történeti idő paradoxona

Absztrakt

The Paradox of Historical Time and Atalanta “The Swift-footed Huntress”

The historian, to whom time is the chief ingredient of history, perceives multiple dimensions of time. They look back onto the studied past (past-present) from their own present (present-present), but they also know the past of the studied past (past-past), and the future of said studied past (past-future). This past-future encompasses the future vision of the people of the studied past, as well as all interpretations of it, all the way up to the present of the historian. Ultimately, the historian in their own present cannot distance themselves from the future vision of their own present, their future expectations, hopes or fears (present-future). Historical cognition is therefore characterised by the combined effect of plural time dimensions, not by linear thinking.

Keywords: history, past, time dimensions, linearity, multitemporality, Judaism, longue durée