Modes of Political and Historical Time in Early Eighteenth-Century England

Modes of Political and Historical TimebaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA in Early Eighteenth-Century England J.G.A. POCOCK H isto ry — in all b u t a few , ra th e r e so te ric , sen ses o f th e te rm — is p u b lic tim e . T h a t is, it is tim e e x p e rie n c e d b y th e in d iv id u a l as p u b lic b e in g , c o n sc io u s o f a fra m e w o rk o f p u b lic in stitu tio n s in a n d th ro u g h w h ic h e v e n ts, p ro c e sse s a n d ch an g es h a p p e n to th e so c ie ty o f w h ic h h e p erceiv es h im se lf to b e p a rt. T h e p u b lic re a lm , u n lik e th e so cial re a lm , m u st b e th o u g h t o f as in stitu tio n a liz e d a n d fo rm a liz e d , sin ce o th e rw ise th e d istin c tio n b e tw e e n p u b lic a n d p riv a te c a n n o t b e m a in ta in e d ; a n d th e in stitu ­ tio n a liz a tio n o f th e p u b lic re a lm le a d s to th e in stitu tio n a liz a tio n o f so cial e x p e rie n c e a n d o f m o d e s o f a p p re h e n d in g it, a n d c o n se­ q u e n tly to th e in stitu tio n a liz a tio n a n d d iffe re n tia tio n o f a p p re ­ h e n d e d tim e . T o say th a t “ h isto ry is p u b lic tim e ,” th e re fo re , is to say th a t in d iv id u a ls w h o see th e m se lv e s as p u b lic b ein g s see so c ie ty as o rg a n iz e d in to a n d b y a n u m b e r o f fra m e w o rk s, b o th in stitu ­ tio n a l a n d c o n c e p tu a l, in a n d th ro u g h w h ic h th e y a p p re h e n d th in g s as h a p p e n in g to so c ie ty a n d th e m se lv e s, a n d w h ic h p ro v id e th e m w ith m e a n s o f d iffe re n tia tin g a n d o rg a n iz in g th e th in g s th e y a p p re h e n d as h a p p e n in g . T h is is w h y th e a rc h a ic d ic tu m th a t “ h isto ry is p a st p o litic s” h as m o re to b e said fo r it th a n w e are 87 88 / J.G.A.POCOCKbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA d isp o se d to re c o g n iz e , a...