Orbis Idearum Vol. 12 Issue 1 (2024) - European Journal of the History of Ideas

Jul 3, 2026

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Orbis Idearum—European Journal of the History of Ideas—introduces the History of Ideas Research Centre at Jagiellonian University in Krakow and presents the journal’s institutional framework, publishing details, and editorial leadership. The text explains the centre’s foundational conviction that the history of ideas matters for academia, culture, and society by clarifying how traditions shape present-day culture and thinking. It outlines the journal and related series initiatives, and argues for interdisciplinary research using ideas as linguistically and non-linguistically expressed thoughts.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages139

Reading Time5 h 50 min

Editorial and Institutional Overview

Founding Mission of the History of Ideas Research Centre

Journal and Related Publications

ORBIS IDEARUM European Journal of the History of Ideas Volume 12, Issue 1 (2024) History of Ideas Research Centre Jagiellonian University in Krakow 2 Institutional affiliations: Orbis Idearum is edited by the History of Ideas Research Centre at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland, and published by Genesys Informatica in Florence, Italy. The website of the journal ([www.orbisidearum.net](www.orbisidearum.net)) has been funded by the“National Program for the Development of the Humanities” of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Poland. The journal is currently affiliated with the Institute of Sociology at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland. @ History of Ideas Research Centre Jagiellonian University Al. Mickiewicza 22 30-059 Krakow, Poland ORBIS IDEARUM European Journal of the History of Ideas NetMag edition Founder: MICHEL HENRI KOWALEWICZ † Editor-in-Chief RICCARDO CAMPA Editorial Staff LUCAS MAZUR DAWID WIECZOREK OLGA O’TOOLE ANASTAZJA ZAKUSIŁO Scientific Committee KARL ACHAM, TATIANA ARTEMYEVA, WARREN BRECKMAN, PAWEŁ DYBEL, ANTIMO CESARO, MARIA FLIS, MARIOLINA GRAZIOSI, FABIO GRIGENTI, JAROSŁAW GÓRNIAK, VICTOR KAPLOUN, MARCIN KRÓL, JENS LOENHOFF, GIUSEPPE MICHELI, MIKHAIL MIKESHIN, ERIC S. NELSON, LUCIANO PELLICANI, GREGORIO PIAIA, RICCARDO POZZO, MARTINA ROESNER, GUNTER SCHOLTZ, ALEXANDER SCHWARZ, SERGIO SORRENTINO, CAROLE TALON-HUGON, IRINA TUNKINA, HAN VERMEULEN, MARA WADE, LECH WITKOWSKI, WIESŁAW WYDRA, MARTINE YVERNAULT ISSN: 2353–3900 [www.orbisidearum.net](www.orbisidearum.net) 4 The new History of ideas research Centre was founded on the conviction that the history of ideas is of great importance not only for all academic fields, but first and foremost for culture and society. The history of ideas enables a better understanding of our present, whose culture and manners of thinking result from certain traditions and therefore are not selfexplanatory. We are not Europeans neither because of the territory we inhabit nor in virtue of recently concluded European treaties, but because European culture has been shaped by particular basic ideas and attitudes. They can only be clearly comprehended and commented on via an examination of their history, which can only be explicitly appropriated and evaluated against their historical background. The history of ideas explains our mental and cultural presuppositions and thereby may lead to justified affirmation and critique – not only a critique of traditional ideas, but also a critique of our present situation that often reveals its deficiencies only in the light of prior convictions and keynotes. The increasing specialization of historical studies needs to be counterbalanced by other types of research that focus on common presuppositions and thoughts, and thereby promote interdisciplinary work. This is precisely the scope of the studies of the history of ideas, where many academic fields overlap. In order to foster fruitful research discussion in the domain of the history of ideas, the research centre decided to launch the online magazine Orbis Idearum. European Journal of the History of Ideas, and the book series Vestigia Idearum Historica. Beiträge zur Ideengeschichte Europas by mentis Verlag in Münster. The concept of the history of ideas has admittedly lost its semantic outlines. Since historical research has disproved rather than confirmed Lovejoy’s research program that was based on the supposition of constant unit-ideas, the concept of the history of ideas can be applied to any inquiry in the field of the Geistesgeschichte. 6 By contrast, the new History of Ideas Research Centre attempts to restore the distinctive profile of the history of ideas. For the Centre, ideas are thoughts, representations and fantasy images that may be expressed in various forms. Ideas manifest themselves first and foremost in language, but also in nonlinguistic media, and even in activitie

FAQs

What is the central mission of the History of Ideas Research Centre described in this document?

It emphasizes that the history of ideas is crucial not only for academic fields but also for understanding culture and society, helping explain how present thinking arises from historical traditions.

How does the text define “ideas” in this research approach?

Ideas are described as thoughts, representations, and fantasy images that can appear in language and also in non-linguistic media, as well as in activities, rites, and practices.

Why does the document distinguish the history of ideas from related fields like concept history and intellectual history?

It states that the history of ideas is not limited to linguistically expressed concepts and is broader than concept history and general intellectual history, because ideas can underlie cultural phenomena before they receive linguistic form.

Jul 3, 2026

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