思想史的近代滥觞可以追溯到18世纪的启蒙运动,追溯到伏尔泰这样的“哲学的”历史学家们,他们把进步与“理性”的增长联系起来,或与人类精神对迷信的胜利联系起来。但是在19世纪的绝大部分时期里,人们对思想史的兴趣落后于对其他方面历史、尤其政治史的兴趣。政治史 The origins of the history of ideas can be traced back to the 18th century Enlightenment and to the “philosophical” historians like Voltaire, who linked progress with “rational” growth or with the human spirit’s superstition Link up. However, during most of the 19th century, people’s interest in the history of ideas lags behind the interest in other aspects of history, especially political history. Political history