Preparation - Studies in the New History: On the Need for the Concept of Mentalities

The article explores the importance of the concept of "mentalities" in historical studies, particularly within the context of the Annales School and the broader movement of New History (Nouvelle Histoire). It argues that history should not only focus on political events and dominant figures but also examine the collective mental structures that shape how societies perceive and respond to events. Mentalities refer to the shared beliefs, perceptions, emotions, and representations embedded in a society’s collective memory. These influence behaviors, attitudes, and the ways individuals relate to existence, culture, rituals, myths, disease, and other phenomena. The history of mentalities aims to uncover these underlying frameworks, thus providing a deeper understanding of human agency beyond material or empirical factors. The authors trace the development of the concept through the works of key Annales historians like Marc Bloch, Lucien Febvre, Fernand Braudel, Jacques Le Goff, and Philippe Ariès, emphasizing their efforts to desacralize traditional historiography and open history to interdisciplinary approaches involving psychology, sociology, and cultural studies. A key argument is that mentalities function as dynamic forces, deeply rooted in collective representations rather than isolated individual thoughts. These representations manifest in political ideologies, social beliefs, and cultural practices. By studying these, historians can understand how societies construct their identities, react to phenomena, and preserve memories across time. Furthermore, the article highlights the methodological challenges of studying mentalities, advocating for a holistic approach that avoids reducing historical analysis to isolated causal factors. Instead, it calls for reconstructing the "mental landscape" of a period in its coherence and internal logic, acknowledging both rational and irrational dimensions of human thought. In conclusion, the authors stress that incorporating the concept of mentalities into historical research enriches historiography, enabling a deeper comprehension of human behavior, agency, and collective memory. It shifts historical inquiry towards understanding the cultural and psychological underpinnings of societies, offering a more nuanced interpretation of historical events.