The Order of Historical Time

the Longue Durée and Micro-History

Abstract

This article is concerned with Fernand Braudel’s conception of the
plural temporality and, above all, the longue durée as a practical
tool for historical inquiry. Through an examination of the work of
Braudel’s colleague Ernst Labrousse, it emphasizes the theoretical and
methodological assumptions underlying the practice of serial history as the
means to reconstruct such “structural temporalities.” Finally, it treats the
concern for the episodic and short-term that characterizes Italian microhistória
as a reaction to the dominance of French serial history which,
nonetheless remains in relation to Braudel’s conception of plural time. In
this way the article seeks to make explicit the relationship between the socalled
“second Annales” of Braudel and Italian microhistory and to suggest
ways the conceptions of temporality might promote dialogue between
diverse historiographical approaches.