On Intellectual Innovation and the Methodology of the History of Ideas

Abstract

Mark Bevir's Logic of the History of Ideas is discussed, focusing on the problematic of intellectual innovation. Sharing Bevir's anti-foundationalist position and his Wittgensteinian view of language, the article criticizes the overly rationalistic and individualist bias in his proposed logic for the history of ideas. It is further argued that Bevir's critique of contextualism is unconvincing because it is based on a far too crude view of the actual practice of historians of ideas.

Keywords:

• History Of Ideas Intellectual Innovation Political Theory Methodology Contextualism Consistency