Remarks on the Sceptical Turn in the Historiography of the Haitian Revolution : Lessons from the Art of Abstraction
Wilén, Carl LU
(2023)
In Distinktion: Scandinavian Journal of Social Theory
24(1).
p.111-132
- Abstract
- One of the major arguments made in the current boom in Haitian revolutionary studies connects today’s conditions of possibility for modern democracy and human rights to the abolition of slavery during the Haitian Revolution (1791–1804). During the last decade, however, this connection between the Haitian Revolutionary period and our own age has been questioned by an increasing number of scholars: a phenomenon that this article conceptualizes as the ‘sceptical turn’. The article argues that the sceptical turn consummates its critique through unacknowledged rearrangements of abstractions, and therefore misses its target. A corresponding critique of the sceptical turn is formulated here using Bertell Ollman’s tripartite concept of the... (More)
- One of the major arguments made in the current boom in Haitian revolutionary studies connects today’s conditions of possibility for modern democracy and human rights to the abolition of slavery during the Haitian Revolution (1791–1804). During the last decade, however, this connection between the Haitian Revolutionary period and our own age has been questioned by an increasing number of scholars: a phenomenon that this article conceptualizes as the ‘sceptical turn’. The article argues that the sceptical turn consummates its critique through unacknowledged rearrangements of abstractions, and therefore misses its target. A corresponding critique of the sceptical turn is formulated here using Bertell Ollman’s tripartite concept of the abstractions of vantage point, extension, and generality. Ollman’s notion enables a shift of focus onto modes – instead of the more common focus on levels – of abstraction. Thus, the author argues, contra the sceptical turn, not only that the connection between the Haitian Revolution and the political and social situation of today is plausible, but that it also provides a more profound conceptual basis for analyses of revolutionary events in general. (Less)
- Abstract (Swedish)
- One of the major arguments made in the current boom in Haitian revolutionary studies connects today’s conditions of possibility for modern democracy and human rights to the abolition of slavery during the Haitian Revolution (1791–1804). During the last decade, however, this connection between the Haitian Revolutionary period and our own age has been questioned by an increasing number of scholars: a phenomenon that this article conceptualizes as the ‘sceptical turn’. The article argues that the sceptical turn consummates its critique through unacknowledged rearrangements of abstractions, and therefore misses its target. A corresponding critique of the sceptical turn is formulated here using Bertell Ollman’s tripartite concept of the... (More)
- One of the major arguments made in the current boom in Haitian revolutionary studies connects today’s conditions of possibility for modern democracy and human rights to the abolition of slavery during the Haitian Revolution (1791–1804). During the last decade, however, this connection between the Haitian Revolutionary period and our own age has been questioned by an increasing number of scholars: a phenomenon that this article conceptualizes as the ‘sceptical turn’. The article argues that the sceptical turn consummates its critique through unacknowledged rearrangements of abstractions, and therefore misses its target. A corresponding critique of the sceptical turn is formulated here using Bertell Ollman’s tripartite concept of the abstractions of vantage point, extension, and generality. Ollman’s notion enables a shift of focus onto modes – instead of the more common focus on levels – of abstraction. Thus, the author argues, contra the sceptical turn, not only that the connection between the Haitian Revolution and the political and social situation of today is plausible, but that it also provides a more profound conceptual basis for analyses of revolutionary events in general. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/ab8f144d-fbd3-445f-ba09-239f6104e41a
- author
- Wilén, Carl
LU
- publishing date
- 2023
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- The concept of abstraction, The Haitian Revolution, Human rights, Democracy, Modernity, Abolition of slavery, Critique, The concept of abstraction, Haitian Revolution, human rights, democracy, modernity, Abolition of slavery, critique
- in
- Distinktion: Scandinavian Journal of Social Theory
- volume
- 24
- issue
- 1
- pages
- 111 - 132
- publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85118431316
- ISSN
- 1600-910X
- DOI
- 10.1080/1600910X.2021.1991418
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- no
- id
- ab8f144d-fbd3-445f-ba09-239f6104e41a
- date added to LUP
- 2023-04-24 10:12:24
- date last changed
- 2023-04-28 16:24:17
@article{ab8f144d-fbd3-445f-ba09-239f6104e41a,
abstract = {{One of the major arguments made in the current boom in Haitian revolutionary studies connects today’s conditions of possibility for modern democracy and human rights to the abolition of slavery during the Haitian Revolution (1791–1804). During the last decade, however, this connection between the Haitian Revolutionary period and our own age has been questioned by an increasing number of scholars: a phenomenon that this article conceptualizes as the ‘sceptical turn’. The article argues that the sceptical turn consummates its critique through unacknowledged rearrangements of abstractions, and therefore misses its target. A corresponding critique of the sceptical turn is formulated here using Bertell Ollman’s tripartite concept of the abstractions of vantage point, extension, and generality. Ollman’s notion enables a shift of focus onto modes – instead of the more common focus on levels – of abstraction. Thus, the author argues, contra the sceptical turn, not only that the connection between the Haitian Revolution and the political and social situation of today is plausible, but that it also provides a more profound conceptual basis for analyses of revolutionary events in general.}},
author = {{Wilén, Carl}},
issn = {{1600-910X}},
keywords = {{The concept of abstraction; The Haitian Revolution; Human rights; Democracy; Modernity; Abolition of slavery; Critique; The concept of abstraction; Haitian Revolution; human rights; democracy; modernity; Abolition of slavery; critique}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{1}},
pages = {{111--132}},
publisher = {{Taylor & Francis}},
series = {{Distinktion: Scandinavian Journal of Social Theory}},
title = {{Remarks on the Sceptical Turn in the Historiography of the Haitian Revolution : Lessons from the Art of Abstraction}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1600910X.2021.1991418}},
doi = {{10.1080/1600910X.2021.1991418}},
volume = {{24}},
year = {{2023}},
}