François Hartog is a French historian whose work critically engages with how we relate to the past, present, and future. He delves into the concept of 'presentism,' exploring the tendency to understand history through the lens of contemporary ideas. Hartog's research investigates the interplay of time and memory against the backdrop of repetition, examining diverse theoretical approaches to historical understanding. Through his writings and lectures, he offers profound insights into historical paradigms and our complex relationship with time.
In Chronos, a leading French historian ranges from Western antiquity to the Anthropocene, pinpointing the crucial turning points in our relationship to time. François Hartog considers the genealogy of Western temporalities, examining the order of times and the divisions of time into epochs.
François Hartog is perhaps the most important historian of historiography today... Regimes of Historicity should be required reading for anyone interested in the past, present, and future writing of history. - American Historical Review