The Age of Ideologies. About a Theme Commonly developed by the Begriffsgeschichte

Abstract

The inquiry into the modern processes of ideologization played a crucial role within the contemporary debate about the 20th Century as the "age of extremes". Among the most original and interesting reading of the historical assumptions of this phenomena, it worth the while to point out the research developed in Germany within the Begriffsgeschchte laboratory. Moving from the seminal reflection on the "age of ideologies" developed by Otto Brunner, the essay focuses on the original ways of conceptualizing this issue articulated by Reinhart Koselleck, and on its outputs for the whole lexicographic field of Geschichtliche Grundbegriffe.