History and the Social Sciences: The Long Duration

Abstract

A French historian suggests that the social sciences lack integration, and for the most part also lack a sense of time. Historians have several concepts of time, including the short-run time of events, and time of long duration, that is, of long-range trends and developments. The concept of long-run time, in conjunction with the models that can be devised with the new "social mathe matics," could provide both the integration and sense of time that would help further social scientific research.