Introduction: What Is Strategic Generalization?

This article considers what kinds of ideas are produced for export by scholars of the eighteenth century—the assumptions or truisms that circulate about our period. Noting the common sense that there is a dearth of theory in the field and that the image of the eighteenth century one finds in the books by researchers of other periods seems somewhat outdated, the article suggests that one way to address this problem is through strategic generalizations: a project to produce new, portable concepts that could serve as springboards for theory. In an effort to launch such an endeavour, authors were invited to write informally, even casually, and to relax their typical rigorous academic standards for the sake of creative speculation. Briefly summarizing the articles in the issue, the introduction concludes by examining areas where work is still needed, particularly in theorizations of race and empire.