Stages of Formation and Main Directions of Theoretical Historiology

The article explores the conceptual basis of the category “theoretical historiography” and outlines the chronological framework of its emergence in scholarly discourse. It examines the general genesis of historiography, tracing its development from early positivist concepts to modern humanitarian doctrines. Methodological specificity of analytical (positivist), hermeneutic, idealist, and narrative-linguistic types of historiography are delineated, along with their key proponents. The paradigmatic interrelation of these trends is substantiated. Structural and comparative analysis of the considered types of historical cognition is carried out. Current issues in modern historical methodology are addressed, emphasizing the role of reflexive analysis as an integral component of modern scientific theory. The phenomenon of nostalgia and the sublime are meticulously explored as mechanisms of insight in historical cognition. The author compares the natural science and humanitarian paradigms in historical research, substantiates their complementarity, which serves as a synthetic basis for modern historical epistemology, and asserts the key importance of historical science in the formation of the conceptual apparatus of modern philosophy of knowledge.