The event and the structure: Thinking about contingency and permanence in SHSs
Fernand Braudel, in his magnificent book on the Mediterranean at the time of Philip II, points out that one event, that of the battle of Lepanto (near the isthmus of Corinth in Greece) on 7 October 1571, was of capital importance in the history of Europe. Braudel explains that, contrary to his own theorization of the long period in history, he almost apologizes for having to deal with events. He points out the importance of this battle in the social and geostrategic equilibrium of sixteenth-century Europe. The natural sciences seem less cautious when thinking about the role of events: the Big Bang is only an event but it created our universe. Many examples show that events such as an epidemic, an accident, a scientific discovery, the political choice of an influential person or a whistleblower can lead to a real bifurcation in both historical and social trajectories. >> Read more “Call for contributions to the F3S Doctoral Student Symposium CODOFE 2021”