GENERAL INTRODUCTION xv 



By a series, we understand a group of volumes composed from 

 different points of view, and on this a few words of explanation 

 are necessary. 



The divisions of universal history in their time relations, 

 represent a very delicate problem which the Germans call 

 " Periodisierung der W eltgeschicJite ", and here many kinds of 

 mistakes and prejudices must be avoided. Chronological divisions 

 are handy and even necessary compartments ; but pushed too far, 

 a pre-occupation with chronology tends, on the one hand, to split 

 up the study of regions and peoples and, on the other hand, to 

 bring on to the same plane phenomena of unequal importance 

 from the cultural point of view (Lavisse and Rambaud). If 

 chronology is subordinated to geographical and ethnical interests 

 the thread is broken : we simply get a collection of histories for 

 different regions of the world (Helmolt), or for different 

 peoples (Duruy, Oncken, Heeren, Uckert, von Giesebrecht, and 

 Lamprecht) , and not a universal history. If, on the other hand, 

 chronology is subordinated to logic the woof is knit too tight, 

 and we get a metaphysical synthesis and not a science of history. 

 The purely logical divisions — whether through the choice of 

 centres of civilization or of preponderating races, they ascribe 

 to humanity a succession of periods enclosed as it were the one 

 within the other (the Philosophy of history, Hegel), or 

 give all peoples a succession of identical periods (Lamprecht) ; 

 whether they terminate in a continuous progress (German 

 philosophers) or in an eternal recurrence (Vico) with or without 

 progress — are all arbitrary, undesirable and condemned : but 

 they are always reappearing, doubtless because they correspond to 

 some element of historical reality. 



We, for our part, shall attempt to reconcile these various 

 interests. We shall have four large chronological sections : 

 Introduction (pre-hi story and proto-history) and antiquity ; 

 Christian origins and the Middle Ages ; the Modern era ; and 

 the Contemporary era. Each of these sections will comprise almost 

 the same number of volumes although they will embrace shorter 

 and shorter periods. This economy can be easily justified owing 

 to the inequality of the resources at our disposal for the investiga- 

 tion of these periods and the practical utility afforded 

 respectively by their study. 



In these sections, the secondary divisions and, in turn, their 

 units, will be so arranged as to satisfy, as far as this is possible, 



